By Keith Idec
Joseph Parker is confident that his abilities to box and punch will make him the first professional fighter to beat Anthony Joshua.
England’s Joshua is a huge puncher (20-0, 20 KOs), but Parker and his trainer, Kevin Barry, are certain Parker is a better boxer than the IBF/IBO/WBA heavyweight champ. New Zealand’s Parker (24-0, 18 KOs) still is regularly listed as more than a 5-1 underdog a month before their heavyweight title unification fight March 31 in Cardiff, Wales.
The WBO champ is unfazed by those odds or anyone that thinks he is in over his head against the hard-hitting Joshua.
“I can out-box Anthony Joshua,” Parker told Sky Sports for a story posted to its website Tuesday. “I think I have the skills to out-box him, but I haven’t really shown that. That’s why I’m excited. This is a big stage to put on the best performance of my life. I can knock him out. I can out-box him. Words can’t explain how excited we are.”
Parker traveled to the United Kingdom for his last fight, a majority-decision victory over England’s Hughie Fury (20-1, 10 KOs), which marked the second defense of his WBO title. The 26-year-old Parker recognizes that crowd September 23 at Manchester Arena will pale in comparison to the 78,000-plus that’ll pack Principality Stadium four weeks from Saturday night.
“We’re fighting in his backyard and we’re fighting another champion who’s undefeated,” Parker said. “That makes it a great fight. But also the opportunity to fight in front of 80,000 people. A lot of people say it’s going to be overwhelming, and I’m going to be nervous and scared. But I see it differently. I see it as us making the most of the occasion.”
Showtime will televise Parker-Joshua in the United States. Sky Sports Box Office will air it in the United Kingdom.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.