Tyson Fury, the undefeated WBC world heavyweight champion and perhaps the biggest name in boxing, has given his friend and training partner Joseph Parker a message ahead of the New Zealander’s fight against Joe Joyce on Sunday: “It’s time to show the world how good you are”.
It was less an ultimatum and more a plea, and it comes with the best of intentions as Parker prepares for a big challenge against undefeated Brit Joyce in Manchester.
Parker told 1News that he has been renting Fury’s six-bedroom house in Morecambe while Fury travels the United Kingdom on a promotional and speaking tour.
Parker has used Fury’s gym in the northern England town for a couple of years and has now somehow also inherited Fury’s chef (an American whom Parker pays handsomely), glove sponsor, merchandiser, massage therapist, strength coach and local café.
Read more: Parker home and on hold as Joyce showdown is delayed
So it’s fair to say the 30-year-old Parker, on the brink of a potentially life changing fight – should he beat Joyce on Sunday and in the re-match on December 17 he will be the interim WBO world heavyweight champion and the mandatory challenger to Oleksandr Usyk's title (and other belts) - is winning on the arrangement and indeed is determined to prove Fury right.
“Tyson said to me the other day: ‘Show everyone why I have been backing you for years. Show everyone what you can do in the ring and the reason why I’ve been supporting you all this time’,” Parker told 1News.
“Because every time I had big fights against [Anthony] Joshua or [Dillian] Whyte, he’s always backed me.
“He’s saying, ‘go and show everyone your full potential and what you can do – what we’re seeing in the gym’.”
Kiwi heavyweight is supremely confident ahead of fight against unbeaten Brit (Source: Supplied)
Parker is, of course, also trained by Fury’s cousin Andy Lee, an Irishman who has overseen the Kiwi’s last two fights against Derek Chisora, the last of which – an unanimous and dominant points victory in Manchester last December – revealed a vast improvement from Parker.
In fact, it must be considered one of Parker's best performances outside his world championship victory over Andy Ruiz Jr in Auckland in 2016.
Parker, who was knocked to the canvas in his first fight against Chisora in May before winning a split decision, entered the second fight with what appeared to be vastly improved self belief, fitness, punching power and shot selection.
Should the improvements continue, the quicker and more agile Parker will present a formidable challenge to Joyce, who has a perfect 14-0 undefeated professional record and is a bigger, durable boxer and a harder puncher, but has never fought someone of the quality of the Kiwi.
And of them all, the rising self belief – a consequence of training and socialising with the unique Fury and indeed Lee, a former world champion, may be the most important.
One of the more noticeable aspects of Parker’s social media feeds, apart from his trimness (which he attributes to his chef), has been his “trolling” of Joyce, a part-time artistic painter.
“It’s just a bit of banter and fun,” Parker said. “Neither of us are the type of people to abuse each other – all the things the people say before fights. It’s light-hearted banter, there’s no real trash talk.
“It’s maybe because of hanging around Tyson and being put on the spot. I’ll say a few different things as a result. I’m just changing it up a bit.
“He’s the best,” Parker said of Fury’s one-liners. “Just hanging around him and listening to him. It’s not in interviews – it’s in the gym or even going on a run. The way that he talks… and compares things. You think ‘where did you come up with that’?
“I think Joe Joyce was calling him out saying he was going to smash me and smash Tyson next. Tyson just said ‘Joe Joyce is a big, stiff pole’. It’s so simple. It just fits.”
Asked how Parker would approach the fight against the man nicknamed “The Juggernaut”, he replied: “Joe Joyce is tough and he’s going to be a great challenge but it’s really up to me and how I approach it. I can make it a fight where if I control it the way I know I can and box smart, I can make it a fight that’s not as hard as what people think.
“But if I go in there and I’m not mentally prepared or in great shape and not ready for it I can make it a hard night. I’m not really focused on him. He doesn’t have any surprises. It’s come forward, throw hard shots, walk you down and try to tire you out. It’s up to me whether I want to be a smart fighter or put it on him and mix it up.
“I’ll take Andy’s advice and whatever plan he gives me on the night I’ll do my best to execute it.”
The Fury-Parker arrangement, unique in boxing because of the closeness of the two heavyweights, isn’t completely one-sided.
In return, Fury has company, a training partner, someone to take the mick out of, a “brotherhood” as trainer Lee describes it.
And Parker, who has a 30-2 professional record and finally on the rise again, is determined to do right by him.
“I’m very blessed to be here and to be looked after."
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