09-05-2015, 11:21 AM
Fight For Life returns to Hamilton with Joseph Parker headlining in December
Joseph Parker will headline the Burger King Fight For Life in Hamilton in December.
The Fight For Life will return to Hamilton on December 5 with Joseph Parker again the headline act.
Hamilton's Claudelands Arena hosted the Fight For Life in 2014 for the first time, with Hospice Waikato the major benefactor of the night.
Hospice Waikato will again be the benefactor of the night, which will see celebrities take to the ring on a card that will also feature Kiwi heavyweight Parker, and popular side act Dave 'Brown Buttabean' Letele.
Duco Events promoter David Higgins said after seeing an impressive crowd turn out to the last Fight For Life in Hamilton, it was a natural choice to bring the night back this year.
"The Fight For Life has become an iconic event on the New Zealand sporting landscape," Higgins said.
"It remains one of the top 20 audience figures of all time in New Zealand. People are fascinated with the night, watching celebrities and sporting personalities step into the ring, and this Fight For Life will be no different."
Joseph Parker is in the middle of a training camp with coach Kevin Barry in Las Vegas, preparing for his next fight against Kali Meehan in Auckland on October 15.
Although his immediate focus is on that fight, which will be one of his most difficult to date, he said coming back to Hamilton will be exciting after last year's effort.
In 2014, Parker left the world in no doubt as to his boxing credentials, knocking out big Brazilian Irineu Beato Costa Jr in the fourth round with one heavy punch.
Up until then there were some questions about if Parker had the power to knock someone out with one hit.
In Hamilton, he proved he was more than powerful enough.
"People didn't know if I had one-punch knock out power," Parker said, "but with everything we're doing in training, all the skills and techniques, everything combined it helps develop that one-punch power, and I know that I have it.
"I've used it on a few opponents now and they've dropped with one punch, but it still comes down to a combination of things.
"Fans love coming and seeing a knock out and it showed in Palmerston North, in Invercargill, and of course in Hamilton last year."
Parker said the last Fight For Life was exciting because of the size of the crowd and the rowdy support boxing mad Hamiltonians showed for him and the other fighters on the card.
"When I fought there last year it was definitely a great crowd and great support. It was my first time fighting in Hamilton and everywhere we went there was great support.
"I'm looking forward to coming down, getting a big crowd and feeling all that support again.
"Fighting in front of a big crowd is exciting. It shows the excitement people have in New Zealand for me and the undercard. It gives me that extra motivation to train hard and push myself in camp because I'm putting myself out there and trying to entertain people with what I'm doing."
After last year's Fight For LIfe victory, Parker's trainer Barry said that by the same time in 2015 they hoped to be cemented inside the top ten of more than one boxing organisation, and in the top five of at least one.
As the WBO's number 6 ranked heavyweight boxer, Parker is close to that goal and with a win over Meehan he could make that step.
If not, fighting a top opponent in Hamilton could tip the scales.
"I'm definitely progressing with every fight, and now that I'm number 6 in the world we're definitely wanting to bring in a good opponent," Parker said of December's fight.
"[We want] to make it a good fight against someone who can challenge us and help us to keep improving and making our way to the top."
- Stuff
Joseph Parker will headline the Burger King Fight For Life in Hamilton in December.
The Fight For Life will return to Hamilton on December 5 with Joseph Parker again the headline act.
Hamilton's Claudelands Arena hosted the Fight For Life in 2014 for the first time, with Hospice Waikato the major benefactor of the night.
Hospice Waikato will again be the benefactor of the night, which will see celebrities take to the ring on a card that will also feature Kiwi heavyweight Parker, and popular side act Dave 'Brown Buttabean' Letele.
Duco Events promoter David Higgins said after seeing an impressive crowd turn out to the last Fight For Life in Hamilton, it was a natural choice to bring the night back this year.
"The Fight For Life has become an iconic event on the New Zealand sporting landscape," Higgins said.
"It remains one of the top 20 audience figures of all time in New Zealand. People are fascinated with the night, watching celebrities and sporting personalities step into the ring, and this Fight For Life will be no different."
Joseph Parker is in the middle of a training camp with coach Kevin Barry in Las Vegas, preparing for his next fight against Kali Meehan in Auckland on October 15.
Although his immediate focus is on that fight, which will be one of his most difficult to date, he said coming back to Hamilton will be exciting after last year's effort.
In 2014, Parker left the world in no doubt as to his boxing credentials, knocking out big Brazilian Irineu Beato Costa Jr in the fourth round with one heavy punch.
Up until then there were some questions about if Parker had the power to knock someone out with one hit.
In Hamilton, he proved he was more than powerful enough.
"People didn't know if I had one-punch knock out power," Parker said, "but with everything we're doing in training, all the skills and techniques, everything combined it helps develop that one-punch power, and I know that I have it.
"I've used it on a few opponents now and they've dropped with one punch, but it still comes down to a combination of things.
"Fans love coming and seeing a knock out and it showed in Palmerston North, in Invercargill, and of course in Hamilton last year."
Parker said the last Fight For Life was exciting because of the size of the crowd and the rowdy support boxing mad Hamiltonians showed for him and the other fighters on the card.
"When I fought there last year it was definitely a great crowd and great support. It was my first time fighting in Hamilton and everywhere we went there was great support.
"I'm looking forward to coming down, getting a big crowd and feeling all that support again.
"Fighting in front of a big crowd is exciting. It shows the excitement people have in New Zealand for me and the undercard. It gives me that extra motivation to train hard and push myself in camp because I'm putting myself out there and trying to entertain people with what I'm doing."
After last year's Fight For LIfe victory, Parker's trainer Barry said that by the same time in 2015 they hoped to be cemented inside the top ten of more than one boxing organisation, and in the top five of at least one.
As the WBO's number 6 ranked heavyweight boxer, Parker is close to that goal and with a win over Meehan he could make that step.
If not, fighting a top opponent in Hamilton could tip the scales.
"I'm definitely progressing with every fight, and now that I'm number 6 in the world we're definitely wanting to bring in a good opponent," Parker said of December's fight.
"[We want] to make it a good fight against someone who can challenge us and help us to keep improving and making our way to the top."
- Stuff