Parker focused on Haumono July 21

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing
Photos: Dave Cameron

IBF #1 Joseph Parker (19-0,16 KOs) will return the ring on July 21 at the Horncastle Arena in Christchurch, New Zealand against WBA #11 Solomon Haumono (24-2-2,21KO’s) over twelve rounds with WBO Oriental and OPBF titles up for grabs. Parker is totally focused on his bout with Haumono and if successful he will be challenging IBF world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua late in 2016 or early 2017. Parker’s trainer Kevin Barry said. “There’s a chance we could fight him (Joshua) in November. Personally, I don’t think it’s an option they want to take. All I know is whether we fight him in November or March/April next year when that time comes we’ll be ready to step into the ring. When the lights are on that’s when Joseph Parker shines the best. The bigger the fight, the bigger Joe’s game.”

Everyone, including Parker, knows Joshua is the target; the ultimate goal. Everyone expects Parker to duck and weave his way past Haumono’s dangerous right hand and finish the job in style next week.

“That was something we did in camp,” Barry said. “When Joshua fought Dominic Breazeale we did a lot of media in the US, the UK and some here in New Zealand and he had to answer those questions but straight after that I said to him ‘I don’t want to hear Anthony Joshua’s name mentioned for the rest of this training camp – the only person I want you concentrating on is Solomon Haumono’.

“I’ve been in this game a long time and I’ve seen a number of guys look past the man in-front of them at the big goal and come unstuck so it’s very important for us that we prepare ourselves for Solomon Haumono.”

Parker has significantly shortened his training. In the lead-in to his decision win over Carlos Takam in May, Parker went through three months gruelling preparation that ultimately left him fatigued and with elbow problems.

This time, it’s been a short and sharp five week camp.

“The Takam fight – because he is a dangerous fighter – we thought we needed a long camp so we did 12 weeks but it wasn’t suited to my body,” Parker said. “I trained so hard that I crashed about week eight or nine.

“This time we trained hard but we trained smart – I didn’t do the extra push-ups I was doing in my room in the lead-up to the Takam fight. I feel much better and I look better.

“The elbows are not as bad as the last fight. It’s still a bit sore so we want to get it taken care of before the fight but somehow the pain has moved up towards the shoulders. This boxing thing is really sore.”

Parker has also adopted a few different training techniques, specifically working on his defence.

“I felt like when I was sparring I was able to slip and slide through those jabs and punches so I feel I’ve improved on that,” Parker said.

“Going into this I want to show everyone there’s a different fighter than the one I showed in my previous fight.”

Haumono has relocated from Australia to Los Angeles and linked with Manny Pacquiao’s conditioning trainer Justin Fortune.

“I have the mandatory position to fight for the IBF world title and everyone wants that so it feels like I have a target on my back. These guys are coming with extra motivation, extra drive. He’s taking this very seriously.”