By Duncan Johnstone
Yakup Saglam has scoffed at suggestions he's a dirty fighter but says he can take that route if it's needed to beat rising New Zealand heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker.
Parker's experienced manager Kevin Barry has questioned the tactics of the German champion ahead of Saturday night's showdown in Palmerston North, alleging Saglam has a dark history of hitting opponents on the back of the head and with low blows.
It's added an edge to the buildup to the scheduled 12-rounder, clearly hitting a nerve with Saglam.
"I am a fair fighter. I don't know where Parker's manager got that from. But if you want a dirty fight … if Joseph is going to use dirty tactics, he will get it from me too," the 38-year-old declared as he fronted the media in Auckland.
Speaking through a translator, the Turkish-born veteran said he would reveal his style on Saturday night.
Known for his heavy hands – he has 31 knockouts in winning 34 of his 38 fights – Saglam believed he offered a unique challenge for unbeaten 23-year-old Parker.
"I'm experienced, I have been through a lot of fights. Joseph is a good fighter but he has not fought someone like me. I've been chosen because I'm a hands-on fighter and Joseph has to learn to take on such hard enemies if he wants to go further. I've been through a lot of tough fights."
Saglam, like Parker, has sparred with world champion Wladimir Klitschko and revealed he took his "Scorpion" nickname after a man in his village was killed after being stung by one.
"It only took five minutes," he said of the death that left an impression on him.
This is his first fight out of Europe and he welcomed the chance to fight further afield as opponents were becoming increasingly hard to find.
His camp acknowledged the difficulty of taking the fight on late notice and the jet-lag factor after only arriving in New Zealand on Sunday. But they said they didn't want to make any excuses and didn't expect either to be deciding factors.