By Bryce Wilson

As the day’s blast past us in that breathless sprint to Christmas a world title fight between Joseph Parker/Andy Ruiz Jr has seemingly materialised out of nowhere, coming hot off the heels of Tyson Fury’s spectacular meltdown. And in the lead-up to the festive season both Parker and Ruiz have the opportunity to deliver an early Christmas gift to their respective homelands in this history making fight which will see either New Zealand or Mexico celebrate their first ever heavyweight title holder.

BOXINGSCENE.COM: Your last fight against Dimitrenko was probably by common consensus your best performance in the last year. How important was that for you going into this world title fight with Ruiz?

Joseph Parker: Very. Getting that feedback after the fight from my coach, from the boxing media, it’s certainly a confidence booster to know that everything we’re doing is on track, on point.

BOXINGSCENE.COM: Your energy in that fight was noticeably more intense from previous performances, you could almost see it within the first 30 seconds of the opening bell.

Joseph Parker: Leading up to that fight we did everything right, on the morning of the fight I felt relaxed and in the dressing room warm up I was sharp hitting the pads. When the bell rang I knew my head movement was good, I was coming in from angles, everything clicked.

BOXINGSCENE.COM: You fought Dimitrenko in preparing for a run against bigger men because either David Price or Anthony Joshua were pegged to be your next opponent, yet now you’ve ended up facing Andy Ruiz who has a fairly unique style and body type. How difficult has it been to prepare for his speed given that the only other guy in the division who is as quick as him is you?

Joseph Parker: Well for a start his body type has changed a lot, so I know he’s preparing very seriously. He has fast hands but I put all my trust in my trainer Kevin (Barry) to find those sparring partners who will best prepare me. If that means bringing in a guy from say a weight division lower to replicate the speed, then that’s what we’ll do.

BOXINGSCENE.COM: Regarding the hand speed, I read some interesting comments from Bob Arum saying that he felt you were a powerful heavyweight but not a particularly fast one. Being that speed is one of your trademark qualities what did you make of that. Was it Bob attempting to get into your head a little bit?

Joseph Parker: Bob is a smart man. He’s been in the sport a long time so I’m sure he knows when a fighter is quick and when he isn’t. But hey he has to give his guy all the confidence he can and help him mentally as well.

BOXINGSCENE.COM: How was the experience of meeting Bob?

Joseph Parker: Oh, it was fantastic meeting him! He has put on some of the biggest fights in history and it’s just great to sit with him and listen to a few of the tales from his career. Stories about promoting Muhammed Ali and the like, it’s fun just to listen and learn new things about the fight game.

BOXINGSCENE.COM: I know that a Mexican has never won a version of the heavyweight title nor has a New Zealander and I know it has been a personal ambition of your trainer Kevin Barry for almost 30 years to see a Kiwi become world champion. Have you been talking much about the history making component of it and have you been embracing that?

Joseph Parker: Absolutely we’re embracing it on a couple of levels. As you say no-one from New Zealand has ever won a title and that’s history making in itself but to also fight for a title in my home country, that brings a whole new level of excitement to what we are doing. We want to enjoy the challenge and we are seeing that in camp. Mostly though Kevin has been focussed on sparring, on getting through each day sticking to our plan and keeping us on track.

BOXINGSCENE.COM: How old were you when David Tua fought Lennox Lewis and do you remember watching it?

Joseph Parker: I was 8 years old and I remember it clearly. My father and I went to my uncle’s house and we watched as a family cheering him on and hoping of course he could take it out. After the fight, I remember the disappointment in the room when he didn’t get the win.

BOXINGSCENE.COM: Were you thinking at the time that one day you could be fighting for a title?

Joseph Parker: Honestly no, not at that time, but maybe when I was about 10 or 12 I started to think back to that fight and envision that maybe one day that could be me, but also winning of course.

BOXINGSCENE.COM: In the rare private moments you have leading up to this fight what sort of thoughts and emotions are running through your mind?
Joseph Parker: I have images in my head of my hand being raised, of celebrating in the ring with family and friends and just living that dream I’ve had as a young boy from South Auckland that I can actually do this.

BOXINGSCENE.COM: So, the overriding emotion is excitement?

Joseph Parker: Very much so. Overly excited that the opportunity has come, that we’re having it in New Zealand, that I’m a part of it, that it’s not only for myself but that it’s also for my family.

BOXINGSCENE.COM: That’s what I wanted to ask you. I understand your baby daughter has recently been born. I also know this is a journey that you and your Dad have been on since you were 4 years of age and that your success in boxing has also reconnected your family back with your grandfather in Samoa. How much would winning a title feel like a legacy for your entire family?

Joseph Parker: This would be the ultimate for me and my family. Along the way, we’ve met up with family, we’ve enjoyed the success as a family but this would be the ultimate tick. I mean I’m the one in there fighting and hopefully I’ll get my hand raised but this is all for my family and my country and of course my parent’s country of Samoa.

BOXINGSCENE.COM: Being that there is a lot of history and pressure attached to this fight for both you and Andy Ruiz, how much do you think that IBF mandatory fight you had with Carlos Takam will be to your advantage in as much as that was like a mini title fight of its own?

Joseph Parker: Well firstly I was disappointed with my performance in that fight, I know I can do a lot better. However, the experience of going through a fight like that has been invaluable to me. To fight when you are not feeling at your best but then being able to dig down deep and pull out the victory does give me a lot of confidence. Andy has had some big fights but I’m not sure he’s ever had a war like the one I’ve had against Takam. We’ll just have to wait and see, he might be one of those guys that can thrive in any situation.

BOXINGSCENE.COM: Stylistically what are you preparing for? What type of game plan do you think Andy and Abel Sanchez will put together?

Joseph Parker: I think his best game plan will be to come out aggressively and to come out firing, he has to be careful though he doesn’t walk into a big right hand. The reality is Kevin and I have been preparing for him to come out fast, to come out slow, for him to fight on the inside, for him to fight on the outside. We’re preparing for every type of style he may try to employ.

BOXINGSCENE.COM: Your relationship with your trainer Kevin Barry, I would imagine that has changed over the 3 years together, is it now more collaborative?

Joseph Parker: I’m glad you asked me that question. In the beginning, it was ‘listen, listen, listen’ which of course I needed, but over time if he suggests something and I’m not sure it works for me I can tell him and he listens to my input and appreciates it. We have that balance working really well.

BOXINGSCENE.COM: In the Takam fight for instance when you had moments when you were struggling does a fighter feed off that energy of the crowd or are you so much in the zone you block it out?

Joseph Parker: It depends. Sometimes you are zoned out but certainly in spots you can feel the energy and you get a rush off of it. You may be having a tough round in a fight and then you hear the cheers from the crowd and you have those flashes in your mind of making your country proud and without a doubt it does it help.

BOXINGSCENE.COM: I know winning the belts and constructing a legacy as a champion is something that is very important to you, but at the same time you are a prize-fighter and you are doing this to secure the future of your family. How surreal is it then to be only three and a bit years into your professional career and be negotiating a fight where there are seven figures in a payday and how do you go about separating the fighting from the business? 

Joseph Parker: It’s certainly very surreal. When you first start, you’re fighting for relatively small money and then those purses do get bigger and bigger. Then all of a sudden you are negotiating purses that you thought you’d never see at this age. I know I’ve worked hard but I’m also very humbled to be in this position at my age. But I also have to remember that I’ve had a whole team help me get to this position. You have to remain on top of it, it’s important to take ownership and responsibility. I certainly don’t want to retire and blame other people for any failures I have with my money. You have to embrace it. Read the contract, find a good lawyer, sit down and see if the contract is a good one for you.   

BOXINGSCENE.COM: When first signing on with Duco did you ever believe that fighting for a world title in New Zealand was a possibility?

Joseph Parker: No! We never though that could happen, especially this early. But they are very smart guys my promoters, I mean how could I have gotten to this moment without them?

Indeed, somehow Parker and his team stand on the cusp of making the improbable possible. Within the disintegrating chaos of Tyson Fury’s short title reign Parker’s promoters have conjured up a world title shot for their man and on his home patch no less. Stylistically the fight with Ruiz shapes as a potential barnburner that could well turn out to be a December surprise for boxing fans everywhere. It also shapes as an important moment in both men’s careers with the winner taking a sizeable step forward into the lucrative market of unification fights while the loser faces being bumped back into the chasing pack.  Either way history will be made and somebody’s ‘0’ will have to go.