A trim-looking Joseph Parker has tipped the scales for his fight against Australian Faiga Opelu in Melbourne tomorrow at 108.8kg, the lightest he has been for a bout since he lost his WBO heavyweight world title to Anthony Joshua in 2018.
It means Parker weighed in exactly 7kg lighter than he did for his defeat to Joe Joyce in Manchester last September – the only time the New Zealander has been stopped in 34 professional fights, but he still carries a significant weight advantage over Queenslander Opelu, who recorded 97.4kg.
Opelu stood on the scales first at the Margaret Court Arena, the venue for the fight, and afterwards had an optimistic prediction in terms of the result.
“I outclass him and I knock him out or I stop him – he quits,” Opelu, 29, said.
It’s difficult to imagine a scenario in which any of these things happen.
Opelu, known as “Django”, has never fought outside of Australia and has been stopped twice in 20 professional fights – the first time by rising Australian Justis Huni and the second time by journeyman and fellow Aussie Lucas Browne.
As a former world champion, Parker, 31, has the pedigree, preparation, and the confidence.
With current WBC heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury in his corner, Parker, fighting in Australia for the first time, appears supremely assured of himself.
He always does, but his physical conditioning – Parker has employed a fulltime nutritionist/trainer for the first time - suggests it’s well placed.
“It’s incredible the two weeks we’ve spent here so far,” he said. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow and putting on a good show and smashing Django’s face.
“Listen, he’s put in the work and he’s got a great team around him but there’s levels to this and tomorrow he’s gonna see the level.”
Interviewed afterwards, Fury was similarly confident of his friend’s success and predicted a stoppage.
“Obviously I know how good Joe is - I train with him day in and day out so … knowing my guy I’ll back him against anybody, I always have and I always will.
“This guy, from what I’ve been told of him, is gonna make Joe look like Muhammad Ali because he’s gonna walk on to everything Joe throws at him.
“There’s levels to this game – you have Australian levels, which this guy is, and you have the level that Joe is, the former WBO world champion after beating Andy Ruiz Jr. He’s a world class fighter … and they beat country class fighters every time.”
Fury, jetlagged and hungover yesterday at the official press conference, suggested he would allow Parker to fight him for the WBC world title but today he was a little more circumspect in line with his previous comments about his mate.
Asked if he would defend his belt against Parker, he said: “Definitely not. I’d rather give him the belt than fight him for it.”
While Fury’s priority is to support Parker tomorrow he is also in the country looking at stadiums for a potential fight himself.
He has seen the Melbourne Cricket Ground and will also have a look at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.
Asked if the rumours about fighting undefeated Aussie heavyweight Demsey McKean were true, Fury said: “There’s big news coming soon. I don’t know who [I’ll fight]. Anybody.”
Meanwhile, Kiwi cruiserweight David Nyika, who is fighting Australian Louis Marsters on the undercard, weighed in at 90.25kg.
Marsters weighed 90.4kg.
Nyika, coming off a big win over Titi Motusaga in Melbourne last October, has already beaten Marsters – stopping him on the Gold coast in July last year.
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