03-08-2024, 10:51 AM
Parker v Zhang: Kiwi heavyweight seeks to prove he is a world title challenger once again
Liam Napier
In the land of giants, Joseph Parker seeks to again prove he is no sleeping challenger.
Parker awoke from career stagnation to stun former champion Deontay Wilder in Saudi Arabia late last year.
In doing so he claimed the biggest scalp on his 37-fight resume with a dominant, calculated, patient, head-turning performance.
This weekend Parker returns to the same venue, same ring, as that triumph.
This time he attempts to survive, wear down and, potentially, knock out Zhilei ‘Big Bang’ Zhang - a very different opponent to Wilder - to cement his presence among the world’s elite heavyweight contenders.
After neutralising and increasingly bullying the widely feared Wilder, Parker could have favoured a much easier road to bide his time for a second title shot.
Knowing that opening is at least a year away, while Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk unify the heavyweight titles in their two scheduled fights, Parker instead jumps straight back into the fire against dangerous southpaw Zhang in a bid to continue his rejuvenation.
“You’re in this sport to be involved in the best fights,” Parker told Newstalk ZB’s D’Arcy Waldegrave.
“When you fight someone at a lower tier you don’t really get up for it. But if you fight Wilder or Zhang everything is on point – you’re excited, you’re motivated, you push through hard times.
“Sometimes when you’re tired, you’re aching, you’re sore and you can’t breathe you push that much more because you know what’s in front of you. I want to be involved in the biggest and best fights while I’m involved in boxing.”
Parker, as the Herald revealed, agreed to a one-way rematch clause that will force him to face Zhang twice should he emerge with the WBO interim title on Saturday morning (NZT).
“With fight negotiations you go back and forth. It was ‘take this fight – it comes with a rematch clause – or we’ll give it to someone else’. I back myself. I know what I can do.
“I have full confidence going into this fight that I can beat Zhang. If I have to beat him twice I’ll do that but I’m fully focused on this fight in front of me. This is the most crucial fight of my career.”
Those with a passing interest in boxing may assume that, on the basis of upsetting Wilder, Parker will start favourite for his next, serious test. Yet while one heavyweight punch can alter a fight, one memorable victory doesn’t change Parker’s underdog status.
Zhang, following two impressive stoppage finishes of big Brit Joe Joyce last year, is savouring his own late blooming revival after a knife-edge defeat – the only of his 28-fight career – to Croatia contender Filip Hrgovic in 2022.
Joyce, of course, handed Parker his only knockout defeat prior to his four-fight rebuild.
Parker is wary of Zhang’s destructive power in both hands. He knows he can’t afford to stand and trade in the middle of the ring and must instead utilise his skill and speed.
Survive the early rounds, and the 40-year-old Zhang could tire to present openings for Parker to strike, particularly with the left hook or uppercut.
In stark contrast to Wilder, though, Parker must cope with Zhang’s constant pressure.
“He’s definitely a threat,” Parker said.
“With Zhang, similar to Wilder, you have to be alert at all times. Zhang loves to come forward so I’ll have to have quick feet. This guy is coming to take my head off.
“He’s coming into this fight with supreme confidence after what he did to Joe Joyce – and what Joyce did to me. Earlier in his career you questioned whether Zhang could go the rounds but in recent times we’ve seen him go 12 hard rounds with Filip Hrgović at a high pace.
“They were both exhausted after their fight. And he put on two great performances against Joyce so he’s backing himself - just like I’m doing.”
Rigidly sticking to the fight plan devised by trainer Andy Lee was one of the most pleasing takeaways from Parker’s win over Wilder. Parker has previously been guilty of losing concentration and drifting to leave himself exposed or lack the required work-rate for the full 12 rounds.
Now, though, his physical conditioning and mental application appears to have turned a significant corner. And with Lee sourcing southpaw sparring partners from America, Croatia and England, Parker should be well prepared.
“When you’re in the ring and you have an opponent in front of you who has big power – and in this case it’s big bang Zhang – it’s a lot more difficult to follow the plan. I’ve trained it over and over. Going into this fight I know I can execute it as long as I stay calm, stay relaxed, be alert.
“I feel like my good years are coming into play now. I’m in a great place in terms of boxing and family life. I’m looking to go in there and put on another good performance. Whatever the outcome, I know I’ve done everything right – food, training, rest, recovery. Everything is on point.”
In stature alone Parker will never be a towering presence in the heavyweight scene but depower Zhang and he will definitively shift from sleeping giant to live title threat status.
Liam Napier
In the land of giants, Joseph Parker seeks to again prove he is no sleeping challenger.
Parker awoke from career stagnation to stun former champion Deontay Wilder in Saudi Arabia late last year.
In doing so he claimed the biggest scalp on his 37-fight resume with a dominant, calculated, patient, head-turning performance.
This weekend Parker returns to the same venue, same ring, as that triumph.
This time he attempts to survive, wear down and, potentially, knock out Zhilei ‘Big Bang’ Zhang - a very different opponent to Wilder - to cement his presence among the world’s elite heavyweight contenders.
After neutralising and increasingly bullying the widely feared Wilder, Parker could have favoured a much easier road to bide his time for a second title shot.
Knowing that opening is at least a year away, while Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk unify the heavyweight titles in their two scheduled fights, Parker instead jumps straight back into the fire against dangerous southpaw Zhang in a bid to continue his rejuvenation.
“You’re in this sport to be involved in the best fights,” Parker told Newstalk ZB’s D’Arcy Waldegrave.
“When you fight someone at a lower tier you don’t really get up for it. But if you fight Wilder or Zhang everything is on point – you’re excited, you’re motivated, you push through hard times.
“Sometimes when you’re tired, you’re aching, you’re sore and you can’t breathe you push that much more because you know what’s in front of you. I want to be involved in the biggest and best fights while I’m involved in boxing.”
Parker, as the Herald revealed, agreed to a one-way rematch clause that will force him to face Zhang twice should he emerge with the WBO interim title on Saturday morning (NZT).
“With fight negotiations you go back and forth. It was ‘take this fight – it comes with a rematch clause – or we’ll give it to someone else’. I back myself. I know what I can do.
“I have full confidence going into this fight that I can beat Zhang. If I have to beat him twice I’ll do that but I’m fully focused on this fight in front of me. This is the most crucial fight of my career.”
Those with a passing interest in boxing may assume that, on the basis of upsetting Wilder, Parker will start favourite for his next, serious test. Yet while one heavyweight punch can alter a fight, one memorable victory doesn’t change Parker’s underdog status.
Zhang, following two impressive stoppage finishes of big Brit Joe Joyce last year, is savouring his own late blooming revival after a knife-edge defeat – the only of his 28-fight career – to Croatia contender Filip Hrgovic in 2022.
Joyce, of course, handed Parker his only knockout defeat prior to his four-fight rebuild.
Parker is wary of Zhang’s destructive power in both hands. He knows he can’t afford to stand and trade in the middle of the ring and must instead utilise his skill and speed.
Survive the early rounds, and the 40-year-old Zhang could tire to present openings for Parker to strike, particularly with the left hook or uppercut.
In stark contrast to Wilder, though, Parker must cope with Zhang’s constant pressure.
“He’s definitely a threat,” Parker said.
“With Zhang, similar to Wilder, you have to be alert at all times. Zhang loves to come forward so I’ll have to have quick feet. This guy is coming to take my head off.
“He’s coming into this fight with supreme confidence after what he did to Joe Joyce – and what Joyce did to me. Earlier in his career you questioned whether Zhang could go the rounds but in recent times we’ve seen him go 12 hard rounds with Filip Hrgović at a high pace.
“They were both exhausted after their fight. And he put on two great performances against Joyce so he’s backing himself - just like I’m doing.”
Rigidly sticking to the fight plan devised by trainer Andy Lee was one of the most pleasing takeaways from Parker’s win over Wilder. Parker has previously been guilty of losing concentration and drifting to leave himself exposed or lack the required work-rate for the full 12 rounds.
Now, though, his physical conditioning and mental application appears to have turned a significant corner. And with Lee sourcing southpaw sparring partners from America, Croatia and England, Parker should be well prepared.
“When you’re in the ring and you have an opponent in front of you who has big power – and in this case it’s big bang Zhang – it’s a lot more difficult to follow the plan. I’ve trained it over and over. Going into this fight I know I can execute it as long as I stay calm, stay relaxed, be alert.
“I feel like my good years are coming into play now. I’m in a great place in terms of boxing and family life. I’m looking to go in there and put on another good performance. Whatever the outcome, I know I’ve done everything right – food, training, rest, recovery. Everything is on point.”
In stature alone Parker will never be a towering presence in the heavyweight scene but depower Zhang and he will definitively shift from sleeping giant to live title threat status.