Parker fired up to find ‘redemption’ against Whyte
Heavyweight Joseph Parker and trainer Kevin Barry were delighted when promoter Eddie Hearn made contact two months ago and offered a high-profile match-up in London with Dillian Whyte but revealed yesterday they view Saturday night’s encounter as “a redemption fight” after the Samoan-kiwi’s disappointing loss of the World Boxing Organisation title to Anthony Joshua four months ago.
“For the couple of months after the Joshua fight, Joe knew there were things he did well, and things he could have done so much better,” Barry said yesterday at their camp in Vauxhall. “The big thing, of course, was his movement and defence was great but his offensive game was a little low.
“And for a fighter who has made his name as a fighter who lets his hands go, Joe simply didn’t let them go. We’ve seen this in his last few fights, his offensive game has been a little dormant.”
Whyte, they believe, will be the perfect foil at the O2 Arena on Saturday. “It’s time to wake it up. Joe saw that taking a fight against Dillian Whyte with so much risk was a redemption fight for him. A fight where we could get back all we had lost in one fight, bar the title. That’s what the excitement was. That’s why we were able to put this fight together.
“From when the fight was signed to fight day, we had seven weeks. Joseph flew from Auckland to London, which was 24 hours, then spent a day there before flying to Vegas, which was another 10 hours. He had 34 hours flying in four days and that was the beginning of our training camp. He walked around like a zombie for a week.
“We’ve had to make every day a winner. He’s oozing confidence and his body looks great. We’ve changed a few things in training that have really worked for us.”
Speed, strength, conditioning and aiming to engage and move is the plan to combat Whyte’s aggressive fighting style.
“What that loss against Joshua has done is light a fire under Joe’s a---,” Barry said. “He knows the Joseph Parker we see in the gym is better than the one that turned up on fight night. Let’s remember, Joe fought a very skilful and clever fight. He fought a fight we’d never seen Joshua fight before.”
Barry knows that Whyte, as well as his charge, will be aiming for an emphatic victory. “Both guys want to make a dramatic statement because the reward for an explosive performance will push the winner to a fight with Joshua or the winner between Joshua and [Deontay] Wilder. This fight is the difference between millions and millions of dollars moving forward.
“There’s pressure. Joe is well aware if we lose to Dillian Whyte it is a big struggle back. He thanks God every day that we’ve been given this chance at redemption.”