Barry and the ties that bind

Joseph Parker’s trainer Kevin Barry won’t open up on what’s inside the ‘‘lucky bag’’ he carries to his corner on fight nights.

It’s a treasure trove of items dear to the 58-year-old that help satisfy his superstitions.

But he will admit there will be a couple of new items tucked away in there for the long walk to the ring in Cardiff tomorrow.

They are quite literally the ties that link him to Wales.

Barry had never set foot in the country until arriving this week.

He had waited 44 years to rekindle a strong association with Welsh boxing established by his father Kevin Barry Snr, one of New Zealand’s most respected and successful trainers.

Barry was 14 when his father was the liaison official helping the Welsh boxing team at the 1974 Commonwealth Games in his home city of Christchurch.

The teen immersed himself in the experience. Younger brother Bryan was also in attendance then, just as he will be tomorrow as cutman.

‘‘We went to all the fights and watched them training. It was an incredible experience for a couple of youngsters’’ Barry remembers.

At the end of the Games, the Welsh presented his father with a tie to thank him for his help.

Barry senior rekindled his Welsh friendship at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Scotland when he coached the New Zealand boxing team, helping Jimmy Peau to gold in the heavyweight division.

‘‘Dad met up with the Welsh team again. Many of the officials were still the same. They had a great time and they gave dad another tie.’’

Barry still has the two ties his late father passed on to him and brought them to this fight as a mark of respect to his father and to the Welsh. He figured they might bring a little bit of luck too.