I’ve done hard yards to build up for this

IF LIFE had turned out differently for Joseph Parker he would have been on a building site in South Auckland this weekend.

Instead, the New Zealander spent the last six years laying the foundations for his careerdefining moment in the ring tomorrow night at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.

Parker, 26, will put his WBO title and unbeaten record on the line against WBA and IBF heavyweight holder Anthony Joshua having secured a payday of about £7million.

While the pair did cross paths in the amateurs when they were both at the 2011 world amateur championships in Azerbaijan – they did not fight, they just met briefly – their route to the summit of heavyweight boxing has been very different.

Joshua was a British-funded athlete with the comfort of a regular income, state-ofthe-art facilities and housing while Parker had to scratch around to find funding to even make it into tournaments.

His amateur coach Grant Arkell could not even travel with him to Azerbaijan in 2011 and Australia’s trainers took him under their wing before he exited in the second round.

“I have had a tougher route to here,” said Parker. “In New Zealand, when you represent your country, you don’t really get a lot of support. It was a little bit hard to represent your

SPORT IN BRIEF

country when you have to pay your way around. We’ve done the hard yards to get here and that will help us with extra drive and motivation.”

Then, when Joshua was winning gold at London 2012 and closing in on a lucrative professional contract, Parker was studying construction for fear that boxing would not pay the bills. “I was on a scholarship to learn building,” said Parker, who is of Samoan descent.

“I loved construction and my mum said to me many times that I need to have a fall-back plan in case everything goes wrong. Everyone in boxing needs a fall-back plan.”

When his current promoters Duco Events picked him up after his first professional fight, there were promises of riches that they have now delivered. “Being motivated by having to go my route compared to Joshua’s plays a part but I am just more focused on being here and fighting and winning for myself, my team, my country,” said Parker. One Brit who is backing him is old friend Tyson Fury, while Parker’s parents, Dempsey – named after ring legend Jack Dempsey – and Sala are in Cardiff this week to see their boy’s big moment. But Parker’s partner, Laine Tavita, has had to stay in New Zealand as they are expecting their second child in June. Having spent the last 12 weeks in Las Vegas with trainer Kevin Barry, Parker spent his down time talking to Laine and their 16-month-old girl Elizabeth on FaceTime. And Parker’s construction skills will be needed on his return home next week. He said: “I purchased a house recently, I am looking forward to seeing it when I get back. I want to build the playground at the back. “Also there’s a trampoline I need to put together. I’ve told Kev we will use the trampoline before my girl. It’s a spring-free trampoline. I don’t want my daughter to be injured or me or my coach or my promoter when we’re all jumping on it together celebrating.” SKY Sports Box Office will exclusively show the Anthony Joshua v Joseph Parker unification fight tomorrow. Available to buy now at www.sky.com/orderboxoffice