Yes, I’m again ...

Ahead of the biggest fight of his life, Parker reveals his and his partner Laine’s exciting baby news

OH baby, I can’t wait for this. What a week I have ahead of me, what a couple of months!

First it’s a shot at boxing history against Anthony Joshua, then it’s the arrival of a second baby daughter.

Yes, our darling wee Elizabeth will be getting a sister in June.

It’s going to be a blessing to have two. My first daughter has brought so much joy to my life, I’m so looking forward to the next one.

It’s another huge motivation for victory, not that I’m lacking in that department.

I have two countries behind me in New Zealand and Samoa. I have my family and friends behind me, and I have so many people wanting me to do well. It’s humbling but it’s also very powerful.

Being away from home for months is hard and only gets harder when you have a young family.

After two months training in Las Vegas it’s been nice to get to London and have my brother John here along with my mother Sala, father Dempsey and a fair few friends.

But I miss my little Elizabeth and my partner Laine who are still in New Zealand.

Family are everything to me and this fight helps me secure the future of them and my parents. But if I win this, future fights will mean their future is even better.

I know there is a lot to look forward to when I get home and coming back with three of the four major belts would just make that sweeter. When I get into the ring next Sunday the first thing I will do is focus and remind myself of the game plan. It’s very important to stay on task.

But I’ll see my parents sitting there as I always do, looking nervous and worried. That just makes me more determined to put on my best performance.

I always think of my daughter too. I have been dreaming of her over the last week and when I’m in that ring I’m wanting to do this for her. She’s often my last thought before the opening bell sounds.

This is a huge fight in front of 80,000 people and a truly global TV audience.

That won’t faze me. There is no point over-thinking things. Keep it simple. It’s just another fighter in front of me on a bigger stage. Joshua just happens to be a very good fighter and another champion and I have to respect him.

But I have so much belief in my own abilities and this is a fight I have wanted for a long time.

I’m not scared of Anthony Joshua, I don’t care what power he has, his knockout record, or his skills. I just think I’m better. I have better skills, better movement and my goal is to show that.

I promise I will give this everything. I know the last time New Zealand and Samoa had a fight of this scale there was frustration that David Tua couldn’t show his true worth against Lennox Lewis. Even David, the great heavyweight that he was and such an inspiration to us all, will probably admit that.

For me, there’s no point coming out of the ring and thinking, ‘Oh no, I should have done this or I should have done that’. In my mind I have to leave it all in there or not even go in there at all.

With my elbows repaired and a