01-09-2015, 10:46 AM
WBA #10 Joseph Parker departs for Las Vegas Thursday
By Ray Wheatley — World of Boxing
WBA #10, WBO #12 heavyweight Joseph Parker (12-0, 10 KOs) who will clash with Jason Pettaway (17-1, 10 KOs) on March 5, departs for Las Vegas on Thursday to train with Kevin Barry and is excited to be working with the WBA, IBF, WBO champion Wladimir Klitschko in April.
“The Klitschko camp is definitely motivation for me,” Parker said. “Just getting the welcome to the camp is a great opportunity. But I know if I can’t beat Jason then I’ll definitely have trouble with Klitschko big time. So I’m just trying my best to get past this challenge and then looking at going over and sparring Klitschko who is the best in the world. You can’t get any better than that.
“Having that in the background is going to help push my training even harder. I’ll be focused as soon as I get back to Vegas. I’ve got seven weeks to prepare. I’m really fired up to get back into my training now. I’m ready.”
“Just getting the respect from the champ asking you to come and be one of his sparring partners is awesome,” Parker said. “Watching how he operates and trains, that’s going to be a whole different level for me. He has dominated for 10 years and in that time I’ve always looked up to him as ‘the man’. “It’s going to be an exciting time … putting yourself against the champ and seeing where you are at in the sport.”
The 34-year-old American has a solid pro record of 17 wins and one loss after an extensive amateur background.
He’s noted for his movement, producing a hit and run style that can frustrate opponents. “From what I’ve seen of him, this a is a real good challenge,”
Parker says of Pettaway who certainly has size and looked to be in good shape today. “He brings different challengers than my last opponents and I’m excited about that. I see him as a bit like Brazil’s Marcelo Nascimento who I beat in Germany. I had a bit of trouble cutting off the ring, I missed with a lot of shots I shouldn’t have missed with. “Jason is a very technical fighter, there are going to be a lot of different angles and movements.”
Jason Pettaway said fighting Parker in New Zealand looms as a real challenge. All of his wins have come in his native West Virginia with his one loss to Russian Magomed Adbusalamov happening at Madison Square Garden in New York.
“It’s an honour to be here,” said Pettaway. “But I’ve come to win and take those belts back with me. It’s a great opportunity for me, a great moment. I’m coming off a busy year … this is a good time for me.”
He acknowledged Parker’s speed and skills but detected weaknesses, particularly the Kiwi’s habit of dropping his hands. “I’ve looked at a lot of Joseph’s fights and that’s given me things to work on.
“I feel like I’ll be able to distribute my punches in a way he won’t be able to hit me.”
By Ray Wheatley — World of Boxing
WBA #10, WBO #12 heavyweight Joseph Parker (12-0, 10 KOs) who will clash with Jason Pettaway (17-1, 10 KOs) on March 5, departs for Las Vegas on Thursday to train with Kevin Barry and is excited to be working with the WBA, IBF, WBO champion Wladimir Klitschko in April.
“The Klitschko camp is definitely motivation for me,” Parker said. “Just getting the welcome to the camp is a great opportunity. But I know if I can’t beat Jason then I’ll definitely have trouble with Klitschko big time. So I’m just trying my best to get past this challenge and then looking at going over and sparring Klitschko who is the best in the world. You can’t get any better than that.
“Having that in the background is going to help push my training even harder. I’ll be focused as soon as I get back to Vegas. I’ve got seven weeks to prepare. I’m really fired up to get back into my training now. I’m ready.”
“Just getting the respect from the champ asking you to come and be one of his sparring partners is awesome,” Parker said. “Watching how he operates and trains, that’s going to be a whole different level for me. He has dominated for 10 years and in that time I’ve always looked up to him as ‘the man’. “It’s going to be an exciting time … putting yourself against the champ and seeing where you are at in the sport.”
The 34-year-old American has a solid pro record of 17 wins and one loss after an extensive amateur background.
He’s noted for his movement, producing a hit and run style that can frustrate opponents. “From what I’ve seen of him, this a is a real good challenge,”
Parker says of Pettaway who certainly has size and looked to be in good shape today. “He brings different challengers than my last opponents and I’m excited about that. I see him as a bit like Brazil’s Marcelo Nascimento who I beat in Germany. I had a bit of trouble cutting off the ring, I missed with a lot of shots I shouldn’t have missed with. “Jason is a very technical fighter, there are going to be a lot of different angles and movements.”
Jason Pettaway said fighting Parker in New Zealand looms as a real challenge. All of his wins have come in his native West Virginia with his one loss to Russian Magomed Adbusalamov happening at Madison Square Garden in New York.
“It’s an honour to be here,” said Pettaway. “But I’ve come to win and take those belts back with me. It’s a great opportunity for me, a great moment. I’m coming off a busy year … this is a good time for me.”
He acknowledged Parker’s speed and skills but detected weaknesses, particularly the Kiwi’s habit of dropping his hands. “I’ve looked at a lot of Joseph’s fights and that’s given me things to work on.
“I feel like I’ll be able to distribute my punches in a way he won’t be able to hit me.”