Lee predicts KOwin for Parker
Joseph Parker’s trainer Andy Lee believes his fighter will expose the limitations of Joe Joyce in their crucial heavyweight fight next week.
Parker and Joyce clash for the WBO interim title in Manchester on Septmber 25.
Lee has overseen Parker’s two most recent wins over Dereck Chisora and feels the Kiwi’s impressive improvement will continue against the unbeaten Joyce.
‘‘Joyce, you watch him on the outside, and he seems uncoordinated, quite slow, slow reflexes,’’
Lee told Queensbury Promotions, who are putting on the fight at the Manchester Arena.
Lee admitted ‘‘there is more than meets the eye’’ with Joyce who will enjoy a size superiority, but was adamant Parker was a superior boxer.
‘‘Ability-wise they aren’t in the same league. Joseph Parker is quicker, has faster hands, is very coordinated, and is probably a bigger power puncher. If Joseph Parker boxes and executes and uses his ring generalship ... ’’
Lee doesn’t believe that the basis of Joyce’s progress till now – he is 14-0 with 13 KOs – will survive against the experienced Parker (30-2).
‘‘Joe Joyce is bigger, he can walk forward and take a punch, that’s his best attribute, and he has a good engine. They are a bare minimum as a fighter.
‘‘But I don’t think Joe Joyce is going to walk through Parker, he’s going to walk into punches.
‘‘If Joseph Parker can execute what he can do, it should be a good win for him. He just needs to stay with the game plan, stay determined ... it wouldn’t surprise me if the fight ends in a KO for Parker.’’
Lee even suggested that Parker, who has a proven jaw with a record of going the distance against world class opponents, could finish the fight early if Joyce wasn’t careful.
Lee continues to be impressed by the development of the 30-yearold Parker, a former WBO champion and feels their relationship is becoming more intuitive as they train at WBC champion Tyson Fury’s gym in England.
‘‘We are getting to the stage where I don’t have to tell him – he can identify his mistakes and the changes he needs to make in the sparring,’’ Lee said.
‘‘The technical and physical improvements are there for people to see for themselves.
‘‘From a mentality point of view, I see a fighter who is motivated a lot more, is hungry, and the influence of Tyson [Fury] has been very good for him.’’
With Joyce at No 1 and Parker No 2 behind champion Oleksandr Usyk, the WBO has decided to give it extra status and there is the lure of a genuine title shot for the winner, though Joyce has negotiated the luxury of a rematch clause against Parker.
That has bemused Lee while Parker sees it as a sign of early weakness by his rival.
‘‘I don’t know how they agreed to it, it just seems like a crazy agreement, it just doesn’t make sense to me,’’ Lee said. ‘‘But if you beat him once, you can beat him twice.’’
That will be Parker’s target in his quest to be champion again.