Flores enlists classy sparring partner
Alexander Flores has enlisted some world class help for his preparations to fight New Zealand heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker.
Parker and American-Mexican Flores clash in Christchurch on December 15.
Flores has been sparring with world title contender Dominic Breazeale in California.
Breazeale is on the comeback trail after being knocked out by Anthony Joshua in their 2016 world title fight in London.
That remains the only loss of Breazeale’s 19-1 career and he has since KO’d Parker’s former team-mate Izu Ugonoh and beaten the respected Eric Molina.
Sharing the training ring with a fighter of Breazeale’s calibre will ensure Flores (17-1-1) comes to New Zealand in good shape.
Breazeale has a December 22 fight against Carlos Negron lined up for New York, so there is mutual benefit in getting in rounds with Flores.
Flores has also reconnected with fellow Mexican Andy Ruiz Jr whom he sparred with before Ruiz fought Parker for the WBO title in Auckland in late 2016.
The confident Flores, who is backed by the legendary Roy Jones Jr, has declared himself ‘‘more than ready’’ for the Parker fight.
Meanwhile, Parker continues to reach out to Britain’s Dillian Whyte as he completes his Las Vegas training camp for the Flores fight.
If he can get past Flores with some style, Parker is eager to return to the lucrative UK scene and remains keen on a rematch with Whyte after losing to the rugged Brit in late July, his second consecutive defeat of the year after losing on points to Anthony Joshua in a world unification fight.
‘‘We keep in touch,’’ Parker told Sky Sports his ongoing connections with Whyte.
‘‘For me, he’s one of those guys – what you see is what you get.
‘‘Behind the scenes, he’s not fake, he’s real, so we keep in touch on social media. I’m supporting him from here.
‘‘I’m supporting him because you go into the of ring with that person, you respect that person, and then you become good friends. It’s boxing, it’s the business. For me, he’s a great guy.
‘‘We’re just encouraging, keep it up, and that kind of stuff.’’
Whyte takes on fellow Londoner Dereck Chisora on December 22 and hopes a win can position him for a title shot against Joshua.
Parker knows his future lies on beating Flores convincingly as the division heats up.
Tyson Fury and WBC champion Deontay Wilder battle for that belt in Los Angeles on December 1 in a fight that will have major ramifications.
‘‘Hopefully getting a great result, and taking care of business, I think next year there will be a lot of options for us,’’ said Parker, the former WBO champion.
‘‘The winner out of Whyte and Chisora, there’s a lot of names in the UK that we can just come and fight.
‘‘For me, it would be great to fight him again. He’s looking at fighting guys like [Anthony] Joshua, other champions. I know I’ve had a few losses and I’ve fallen off the top, but we’re rebuilding and it won’t take long to get back to the top.
‘‘Once I get there, we’re happy to fight anyone, because we love challenges.’’