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Nick Parkinson
Joseph Parker remains optimistic that Tyson Fury’s advice on boxing trainers will pay off this weekend as he takes on Dereck Chisora in a non-title heavyweight bout at Manchester Arena.
Parker, the former WBO world heavyweight champion will have former professional boxer-turned-trainer Andy Lee in his corner on Saturday for his first fight since switching coaches.
Parker (28-2, 21 KOs), from Auckland in New Zealand, has been training in Morecambe, England, with WBC world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, who is in talks with English rival Anthony Joshua about a world title unification fight this summer.
Parker, who outpointed American Andy Ruiz Jr. for the WBO title in December 2016, made two defences before losing the belt on points to Joshua three years ago.
The 29-year-old won his last four fights, however after an unspectacular points win over fellow New Zealander Junior Fa in February, he decided to split from Las Vegas-based trainer Kevin Barry.
“I was with Kevin for about eight years and we achieved a lot together — the first New Zealand-Samoan world heavyweight champion — and I had some great experiences with him,” Parker told ESPN.
“It wasn’t the best performance against Fa, I wasn’t happy with it, it wasn’t dominant, I didn’t change up the plan in the ring and I didn’t adjust, I was just looking for a knockout. I thought it would be great to try something different and find a different voice in my corner. It was a hard decision, I felt I needed a new environment. Kevin was very supportive.
“I then started looking for a coach and the first person I reached out to for advice was Tyson Fury. We are very close, and I asked him some advice with what I should do with my career. He told me that there were three trainers he rates and Andy was one of them. After three or four calls with Andy, I went for it, and first went to see him Ireland.”
Trainer and boxing pundit Lee won the WBO world middleweight title in 2014, but lost it a year later to Billy Joe Saunders, and later retired in 2017. Now the Irishman coaches Fury as well as Parker.
“From the beginning in the first week I was excited because there were a few things I was doing in the gym and he adjusted it straight away,” Parker said.
“He’s not trying to change my whole style, he just wants to tighten me up in my style, making better movements and working the jab, staying focused. Training alongside Tyson was great for a few weeks, we did some body sparring, nothing too serious.”
This is the third of a three-fight deal Parker has with promoter Matchroom and he hopes victory keeps him among the chasing pack looking for a title shot in 2022.
Chisora (32-10, 23 KOs), 37, from London, England, is also facing a pivotal fight after losing a unanimous decision to Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk in October.
“I want to be a two-time world heavyweight champion, I have to focus on one fight at a time and then I can focus on extending my contract with Matchroom,” Parker said.
“Everyone else needs to stay ready and position themselves for when the titles become available. I have to get big fights now so I am right underneath them [Joshua, Fury]. This is make or break for me. I’m expected to win this fight. As the younger fighter I should be able to get the job done.”