Joseph Parker: The Samoan Sledgehammer Of South Auckland-The Heavyweight Kaipato Kiwi

I think you're right. They both are something special.

Maybe they both will top the division in coming years. Don't forget Izu either.

 

Agreed.

Seen a really good interview "Joseph Parker on ruiz fight, meeting arum"

 

This is worth a watch. Showcases Parker's humble beginnings as a fighter through to the weeks leading up to the Ruiz fight. The doco also shows quite a bit about Ruiz and his early days also.

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Watched that last night, was really good stuff

 

Parker article:

I can't help thinking that the WBO belt is my destiny.

I've said over the past week that "this is my time" and I truly believe it. So many things are pointing me in this direction.

Right from when I was a young boy I told myself and my family that one day I would fight for the world title. That day is nearly here and it can't come quickly enough.

I'm following my late grandfather's prophecy.

He watched my first fight as a professional, a second round knockout of Dean Garmonsway in Auckland in July, 2012.

Grandad was so proud of me. Sadly he didn't get to see another fight. He passed away but before he died he gave me a blessing, telling me that "from now on you're not going to lose - all the way to a world title."

It's a blessing I've thought about every time I've fought and he was right - here I am 21 fights later, unbeaten, and about to fight for the heavyweight championship of the world.

The way this opportunity has evolved, to have the fight in New Zealand, it just adds to that feeling that this is something that's meant to happen.

Many people ask me, am I nervous? I'm not nervous, I'm excited. I have a chance of making history. Not many people get that opportunity and it is something to be excited about.

Other people ask me if it's difficult shouldering the weight of a nation? I don't feel a weight, I embrace it and it's not just New Zealand, it's Samoa too.

Pressure comes when you know you haven't worked hard. But if you train hard, you are fit and you are punching hard, everything is good. I can assure you, everything is good with me right now.

There are so many people supporting me. I've felt that build with my career and now it's time to repay them, to give this my best shot.

The best advice my trainer Kevin Barry has told me in the three and a half years we have been together is that I have to take every opportunity with both hands because you never know if you will get a second chance. With each fight I believe we have been doing just that – taking our opportunities and taking steps towards this dream.

Kevin's experience is invaluable to me. He has trained champions and, importantly, he trained David Tua to nearly become champion. David Tua was a great fighter. He should have been champion, he knocked out so many champions. That shows you how hard this goal is.

It was a tough lesson learned for Kevin, one we have used to get to this point. That's why I have to take this opportunity.

Don't think I'm underestimating Andy Ruiz.

Just like me, he has motivation, drive and hunger. He's dangerous. I've told many people don't underestimate Ruiz because of how he looks – he punches hard, fast and strong.

I think Ruiz will surprise many when he arrives today. He is going to be lean and mean, in the best condition of his career.

Some have questioned his buildup and itinerary. You can look at his plans two ways - he's coming here with great fitness and looking to maximise his altitude advantages, or he's making the wrong call by arriving here so late.

He will trust those around him and as a fighter that's all you can do.

I'm looking forward to a bit of interaction with Andy over the next few days. I believe there will be mutual respect. I enjoy an opponent's company outside the ring,

I've even had lunches with some the day after fights.

In the ring, of course, it's a different matter.

How does this week pan out? I'm sure it will go quickly. Last week flew by.

Today is my day off. I'll go to church and spend the day with my family and have some time to myself. That's important.

Then it's back into the media rounds and keeping my training ticking over. Friday is weigh-in and a day when we have a family prayer.

Then it's fight day. It's team day and we have a routine we stick to. We'll have breakfast, do our traditional team walk, a team lunch, play cards, tell some jokes, play music, maybe even a little dancing. It's light-hearted and relaxing.

That mood will flow into our changing room.

Then it will be time to walk into the arena. I stood in the middle of Vector Arena the other day and I looked around, I absorbed the space and the volume of the place. I imagined it with 10,000 fans packed in. It's going to be amazing. Having the support of everyone there is going to lift me and give me an extra boost.

I believe in visualisation. I visualise myself doing well in the ring. I also visualise Ruiz getting the better of me here and there. But I know I can dig deep. If you visualise then you are already prepared for it when it happens.

And I am prepared. I've had a great camp and I've always said with the right preparation I can beat anyone. That's what gives me confidence.

I'm ready to fulfil my destiny. I'm ready to fulfil my grandfather's prophecy.

 

I guess he will soon change his name to Josef Schmidt or Wilhelm Meier now that it is known that one of his forefathers is German.
Felix Sturm,Marco Huck,Edmund Gerber,Eduard Gutknecht,and so on all have changed their names in order to earn more bucks.Parker will do so ,too.Hehehe!
Go,Wilhelm,go!

 

Wat?

Lupesoliai La'auli Joseph Parker. That's as different as we're going to see to just "Joseph Parker". I know you're trolling, but FYI a LOT of Samoans have Germanic blood in them but they are VERY proud of their Samoan ancestry.

PS. This Saturday. Can't wait! Ruiz is in town now, too.

 

Don't hold your breath on that one

 

Joseph PumperkninkelScheizkromp Parker?? Uh huh.

 

I read Andy Ruiz was in negotiations to be trained by Kevin Barry, Joseph Parker's trainer, back in 2012.

"I had a meeting with Andy's manager, he liked my approach and everything. We negotiated a fee to train him, more or less on a weekly basis" - said Kevin Barry.

Around the same time though Barry received call from Duco Events about the prospect of training a raw but promising Kiwi-Samoan fighter, who had won his first four fights. Barry liked what he saw in Joseph Parker, and the rest is history.

 

And history will be made this Saturday!

 

Shame it's not in Vegas.

Would have been HUGE.

Notice how little hype there is in the US over this fight.

 

One of my mates (who is 6ft 3) and isn't a huge boxing fan but like most Kiwis, knows who Joe is. He sent me a message afterwards to tell me he'd had a brief chat with him and wished him luck for the weekend, I knew my mate probably isn't enough of a boxing geek to know how tall Parker is so asked him how big he was in person.

"Bigger than me... lol, a good 2/3 inches taller."

I told him he's billed at 6ft 4 and my mate was a little surprised... reckons that's a bit of a stretch. I do still wonder.

 

Will it air during another fight lineup, CST?