A measure of Joseph Parker’s experience in the convoluted and murky professional fight game is that, for him, Sunday’s bout against Fabio Wardley is the only one he is thinking about.
A win in London against an opponent with far less experience will put Parker in line to fight for the undisputed world heavyweight title against the extraordinary Oleksandr Usyk in the first half of next year.
The south Aucklander, a 33-year-old former world champion who has been the mandatory challenger for Usyk’s WBO belt since the middle of the year, has seen and heard too much to take anything for granted in a sport that runs not by meritocracy but by the pursuit of money and opportunity.
That, really, is the theme this week for Parker as he faces a 30-year-old with no amateur background and with a whole series of knockouts behind him – mainly at domestic level.
"There’s a lot of 'Usyk is next'… but everything is up to Usyk," Parker told broadcaster DAZN this week. "It doesn’t matter what anyone says. I just want to get this fight done and move on to the next big one."
The prize of fighting Usyk, now fully recovered from a back injury after beating Daniel Dubois (for the second time) in July, has been in and out of Parker’s reach since the Kiwi knocked out Martin Bakole in Riyadh in February.
That was his most recent fight. Parker has done everything asked of him but the ultimate opportunity has yet to come and there is a sense that he is not only at peace with where he is but also more dangerous as a result.
Wardley, who got into boxing at the corporate level and has risen to become the best in Britain with a 19-0-1 (18 knockouts) record, is an athletic and powerful man. He is slightly taller than Parker but possesses nowhere near the experience or technical ability.
Parker, who beat Andy Ruiz Jr for the WBO world title in Auckland in 2016, lost it two years later to Anthony Joshua in front of 80,000 in Cardiff. Over the last few years, he has undergone a remarkable resurgence after linking with Dublin-based trainer Andy Lee.
He is on a run of victories over three dangerous fighters in Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and Bakole – all in Saudi Arabia – and is a warm favourite to beat Wardley, who beat Australian Justis Huni by knockout in his last fight in June.
"You can only take him for the fights he’s had and, in every fight, he’s come out on top," Parker said. "A lot of people touch on the last fight he had with Justis Huni when he was down on the cards and pulled out that big right hand – he does carry his power throughout the whole fight.
"I have been in the ring with a lot of top fighters and a lot of power punchers. I do feel my level is above Wardley, but we’ll see.
"I feel my experience will be too much for him."
Wardley said: "It’s been a crazy rollercoaster of a ride throughout my career… that’s what has been preparing me for this – unlike a lot of other people, I’ve had to do every bit of my learning in front of the cameras.
"I’ve had to learn on the job in the ring. This is another learning platform for me, to step up to something bigger.
"I know exactly what I’m in for. Joe’s got a long track record of being competitive and being at the top level. He’s on a little run and has taken out some top contenders as well. There’s no shying away from that… but when the lights get brighter, I do get better.
"There are a lot of naysayers who think that I’ve reached my level… but I’ve picked out the biggest and baddest around… there’s no better opponent to pick out and stake my claim on."
Parker, who has an extensive amateur background and a 36-3-0 (24 KOs) professional record, will need to be cautious of Wardley’s right hand, but it is unlikely to be more dangerous than the power punches of Wilder, Zhang or Bakole.
Parker’s punch resistance will also probably be unlike anything Wardley has faced before and another potential issue for the Englishman is his lack of head movement.
He is relatively easy to hit and Parker’s ability to throw combinations and force the pace or punch on the counter could be problematic.
"I’m excited for this fight because I have a young, challenging opponent in front of me who’s going to bring out the best in me," Parker said. "I’ve had the best camp I’ve ever had. I’m in shape, so there are no excuses.
"I know he’s prepared and everything else, but I need to perform and look good and get that big fight down the road.
"All the best to Fabio but this is my time. This is going to be a Parker win and then I’m going straight to the shop and getting a dessert."
Parker v Wardley at London's O2 Arena is scheduled for approximately 10am on Sunday NZT on DAZN pay per view
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