Joseph Parker

[mippy]

It's just small town/tall poppy syndrome. Lovers and haters both froth at the mouth everytime he's mentioned. Just look at this forum

[Justapakeha]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPabuHFJoG4

Dimitrenko presser in germany. sayus parker is young and saw doubt in his eyes, thinks he lost to takam, has quick hands though. says he thinks duco is looking past him to joshua, says he has nothing to lose, parker everything to lose. but also this is close to his last chance also. says he has a small team, no manager just people helping out.

[NakiFan]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKHUlv9hoed/

[diehard]

Thanks NakiFan, good sparring footage. The guy he's sparring with is pretty good. Must be the cruiser. Anyway, Parker better keep his left hand up. It's down at his waist. He can get away with it with a cruiser his height, but Dimitrenko will take advantage.

If he's doing it in sparring (low left hand), he'll do it when it counts. Come on KB.

[cranky]

Parker discusses potential next 3 bouts

http://www.boxingscene.com/joseph-parker-discusses-dimitrenko-price-bout-joshua-shot--108677

[diehard]

Excellent interview. Thanks cranky! Where have you been? Anyway, all good about the defense, but I saw Parker's left hand down a week ago when he was sparring. Knowing it and doing it are two different things.

[diehard]

https://www.boxing247.com/boxing-news/alexander-dimitrenko-joseph-parker/61898

[diehard]

Boxing: Dimitrenko throws body shots before Parker bout

Kiwi ‘lost’ elimination fight and lacks history, says giant Ukrainian fighter.

Alexander Dimitrenko, the giant Ukrainian Joseph Parker will fight in Manukau in a fortnight, has launched an early offensive, saying the Kiwi heavyweight "lost" his IBF world title eliminator against Carlos Takam.

Dimitrenko has also claimed Parker's promoters, Duco Events, are taking him far too lightly and that, after looking into the eyes of Parker, he knows the 24-year-old is not ready for him or his title fight against Anthony Joshua, which is likely to be held in London in March, should both men remain undefeated.

Parker's unanimous points victory over 12 rounds against Takam in May earned him the right to challenge for the IBF title. It was a clear-cut victory for the judges and most observers, but not according to Dimitrenko, who made his comments in a press conference in Hamburg recently.

"He is fast, he is agile, but he doesn't yet have any history," Dimitrenko said of Parker, undefeated after 20 professional fights.

"In his fight against Carlos Takam, he lost - he really did lose it - but he was named the winner.

"He is young. He's 24. He's 10 years younger than me. I met him at the end of July at a press conference in Auckland and, yeah, what should I say? I have seen in his eyes that he is not ready yet. He is still young, but you should never underestimate someone. This is important in boxing.

"We will see when we meet. I can't tell you what will happen in the future. He is fast. He has fast hands, which I've seen in his fights, but he is not a veteran and he underestimates me.

"Duco think they can just move through me on their way to Anthony Joshua ... they're giving me absolutely no serious consideration."

It remains to be seen whether Dimitrenko, speaking German, is as outspoken in his press conference in Auckland on Tuesday.

He arrived in the city on Thursday, and Parker is due to arrive from his Las Vegas base today. The pair will meet at the Vodafone Events Centre on October 1.

On hearing about Dimitrenko's comments, Duco Events spokesman Craig Stanaway said: "I'm no optometrist, but I've also looked into Joseph's eyes and he's very motivated to put on a show against Dimitrenko on October 1."

All the indications are that it will be Parker's last fight before he faces Englishman David Price on the undercard of Joshua's second title defence in Manchester on November 25. Negotiations for that bout are continuing.

At 2.01m, Dimitrenko will take an 8cm height advantage into the ring against Parker. He has lost only twice in 40 professional fights - against tough Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev and veteran American Eddie Chambers. Since the Pulev defeat in Germany in 2012, Dimitrenko has fought just six times, but was hampered by an Achilles injury in 2014.

A victory over Parker would hand him the right to challenge for the IBF title and would be a huge boost to a career in danger of flagging. "This is my last chance," he said. "I have nothing to lose. He has everything to lose."

- NZ Herald

[diehard]

Joseph Parker ready for November IBF world title fight against Anthony Joshua if mandatory challenge is enforced

New Zealand heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker has been preparing for every eventuality as he waits for his world title ...

Joseph Parker is willing and ready to fight Anthony Joshua for the IBF world heavyweight title if his mandatory challenge is ordered for November 26 in Manchester.

That possibility remains strong as Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn struggles to nail down a preferred opponent from Bulgaria's Kubrat Pulev or Canada's Bermane Stiverne, both of whom are looking for massive pay cheques.

Ideally Parker will fight big Brit David Price on the Manchester undercard as a way of introducing him to the blossoming UK audience and ramp up the unbeaten Kiwi's profile and value for a title challenge against Joshua next March in London.

British fighter Anthony Joshua has the belt that Joseph Parker wants.

Parker is scheduled to face Russia's Alexander Dimitrenko (38-2, 24 KOs), the former European champion, in a risky tune-up fight in south Auckland on October 1.

Team Parker have arrived home to polish preparations for that. But trainer Kevin Barry made it clear they have had to think of the bigger picture because Parker's name could be the one announced by Hearn on September 26 as the next man to step into the ring with Joshua.

"We don't dwell on it too much but we are well aware that until they sign the Pulev fight they may turn around and call Joe for the mandatory," Barry explained.

"This is out of our hands. This is something we don't have any control over because we are the mandatory challenger. If they call the mandatory, we must take it. There's no way we can say, 'no, we aren't going to fight you till next year'. We don't have that right."

Barry said he would be comfortable with that rushed world title schedule if it eventuated.

"At the moment we are planning to be on the that undercard, so it's not like we are moving the base forward. We are prepared for that date," Barry said, though acknowledging that the stakes would rise considerably.

Parker's management have been working behind the scenes to sort out training bases, accommodation and medical facilities in Britain, eager to have everything in place for their battle in Britain whichever way it works out.

Barry never likes to get Parker, 24, thinking further ahead than his next fight and that is a large speed bump in the form of the 2.01m Dimitrenko. But the mandatory circumstances means such talk behind the scenes can't be avoided this time.

It has reinforced the importance of beating Dimitrenko to keep the title shot alive. The Russian has been selected because his height and power replicate the bigger assignments in front of Parker if he is to fight for a world title.

Barry has been delighted with Parker's latest training camp in Las Vegas where he fought three XXXL sparring partners.

"It's the biggest team of sparring partners we've ever had and Joe has systematically broken them down," Barry said.

They had concentrated on working combinations up and down the body of his opponents and also finishing those combinations at an angle rather than in front of the enemy and becoming a counter-attack target.

"Joe has been doing that very well," Barry said of his fighter who is unbeaten over 20 pro bouts with 17 KOs.

"He's got 93 rounds of sparring these guys under his belt. There are a lot of things to feel very good about, very confident about."

They included Parker's head movement and defence.

"Before, we have been relying on hand speed and power. Now, against bigger and stronger fighters, it's very important to have that head movement and Joe is better than ever with that. I believe his defensive patterns have really improved also."

"Joe's application to his training, his seriousness, everything like that, it's spot-on. He understands we can't afford to get anything wrong. All these fights are like our title shot now because if we lose, we lose the mandatory. Dimitrneko will be hugely motivated by that."

Barry said if an undercard role was the way the Manchester date panned out, they were ready for Price, the former British and Commonwealth champion.

"We have been tossing around the idea of fighting David Price for a while now."

- Stuff

[diehard]

Parker's first training day in Auckland:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153971963538437&set=a.409670093436.183147.753513436&type=3&theater