Parker win will unlock riches
The main thing he wants to keep busy. The protracted negotiations to get the Fury fight happening have seen him in the ring just twice this year, when he is used to fighting five times annually.
He will return to Auckland to see his baby daughter for a break and then hit the gym in Las Vegas again, ideally lacing up his fight gloves again for a December bout.
The same theory applies if he lost his unbeaten record to Fury. Duco’s plan has always been ‘‘to jump back on the horse straight away’’.
But that could mean a lesser class of opponent and even returning to New Zealand to rebuild the foundations where the 25-year-old Parker has made his name during a 23-0 career.
Peter Fury, the clever trainer in charge of his son Hughie for this title fight, said there would be no shame for whoever lost their unbeaten record in Manchester and insisted both fighters were young enough to rebound and stay in the mix.
‘‘Absolutely, that’s all about who makes the mistakes and learns from them,’’ Fury said.
‘‘Everyone goes on about the ‘0’ and being unbeaten, but it doesn’t mean anything. Did Muhammad Ali come back from it? Did the greatest fighter of all time come back from it? Of course he did.
‘‘You wipe yourself down and go back in the gym, you’re a fighter. These guys are both young heavyweights, they don’t really come into their own until they’re 28 to 30 years old. They have all to gain and nothing to lose really.
‘‘I think it’s a good heavyweight division right now, it’s red-hot and there are some good fighters out there.’’ Who: Where: Manchester, UK When: Main coverage starts at 8am today (NZT) is, OPINION: If Joseph Parker can take the composure he’s shown during fight week into the ring on fight night he should go well.
Parker has looked every bit the champion as he has paraded his WBO belt around London and Manchester, earning warm respect and keeping a cool demeanour under some trying circumstances.
The weigh-in scuffle was a case of Parker getting a mental edge over Hughie Fury on the eve of the fight, smiling off the challenger’s