Samoa prays for Parker in title fight
Samoa is planning a national day of prayer to support Joseph Parker’s world heavyweight title unification bid.
WBO champion Parker fights IBF And WBA champion Anthony Joshua in Cardiff on April 1 (NZT).
A week earlier, on March 25, the Samoan nation will concentrate their thoughts and prayers on Parker whose parents were born in the island nation.
The Samoan government gave financial assistance for Parker’s successful world title bid against Andy Ruiz in Auckland in late 2016 and again for his first defence against Razvan Cojanu last year.
That support came when both the New Zealand government and Auckland council decided against financial involvement in those fights.
Parker took his championship belt to Samoa in the wake of his title win with the country honouring him with a half day public service holiday to celebrate his victory. They also awarded him an Order of Merit in their 2017 national honours investiture.
The 26-year-old regularly holidays there with his family still owning property.
Parker’s promoter David Higgins said the national day of prayer was a further sign of Samoa’s support for one of their favourite sporting sons ands felt it should sound a warning to Joshua.
‘‘This is fantastic acknowledgement of what will be another landmark day in Samoan and New Zealand sporting history,’’ Higgins said.
‘‘Samoa punches above their weight in contact sports when you think of fighters like David Tua and Mark Hunt.
‘‘Anthony Joshua should consider what this means to Joseph Parker’s will to win ... he has a whole country praying for him and two countries behind him. It’s a powerful motivator for Joseph.’’
The fight will be shown live on television in Samoa and Higgins said there were efforts being made to get a live broadcast into American Samoa.
‘‘Every man, woman and child in Samoa will be watching this fight,’’ Higgins predicted.
Parker’s walk-on team include members dressed in Samoan attire and the Samoan national anthem is played as well as the New Zealand anthem ahead of his fights.