Parker ‘must address his technical issues’
Joseph Parker’s new trainer has identified some issues he believes could be catastrophic if they aren’t addressed against Dereck Chisora.
Andy Lee has taken charge of Parker for the May 2 fight with Chisora in Manchester and has quickly spotted a couple of weaknesses in the former WBO heavyweight champion.
‘‘He has some real issues . . . his balance and some lapses in concentration for a round. These are massive things,’’ Lee told Boxing Social.
Lee said facing Chisora was predictable and Parker needed to handle the inevitable battle that would be brought to him.
‘‘It’s not rocket science . . . Chisora will be physical, he will come forward, he has a very good double jab,’’ Lee said of the rugged Brit.
‘‘If Joe can’t handle the physical side he will get knocked out. If Joe has a loss of concentration, he will get knocked out.’’
Lee expects Parker to win but has also stressed the consequences of this big opportunity to his 29-year-old fighter.
‘‘If he loses, it’s hard to see him reaching the pinnacle again,’’ Lee said bluntly.
‘‘Dereck Chisora is a very good fighter. He can beat anyone on his day, probably apart from Tyson Fury and maybe Anthony Joshua. Chisora is a warrior with an old school style.’’
Lee said he was surprised to get the call-up to coach Parker on the recommendation of his cousin Fury. He accepted the challenge because he sees real potential in Parker.
Lee had watched Parker’s last fight, a laboured win against Junior Fa, which led to Parker cutting ties with long-serving trainer Kevin Barry to seek fresh ideas.
‘‘Joe started out really well against Junior Fa but ran out of ideas,’’ Lee said, believing Fa would trouble a lot of the top fighters with his size and awkward style.
Lee said he and Parker had gelled quickly and were maximising the limited time they had to prepare for the Chisora fight.
That meant enjoying each other’s company outside the gym, which included Lee cooking meals for Parker.