Parker must get out of his comfort zone

There comes a point between every coach and athlete when the relationship runs its course. When the same old voice becomes too repetitive and the need for a fresh face with new ideas is imperative to keep moving forward.

Sure, Joseph Parker banked another victory last week and the WBO heavyweight belt remains safely around his waist. But after a handful of unconvincing displays, it feels like that moment is fast approaching for him and trainer Kevin Barry – if it has not arrived already.

After surviving the tough tests dished out by Carlos Takam and Andy Ruiz Jr to claim one of the four sought-after world titles, many expected Parker to hit new levels of performance, not labouring to victory against the likes of Razvan Cojanu and Hughie Fury.

It’s hard to shake the feeling that the Aucklander’s development has stagnated.

This is by no means an attack on Barry’s credentials, whose brilliant boxing mind has played an essential role in moulding New Zealand’s first major heavyweight world champion. Indeed, without Barry welcoming Parker into his Las Vegas home and overseeing his formative years as a professional, who knows where the 25-year-old would be right now?

But what cannot be argued is that the same questions that have been circulating for at least a year now, perhaps longer, continue to persist.

He may have landed the heavier punches but Parker rarely looked like knocking out Fury, while his footwork and movement appear to have gone backwards. And once again he let his frustration get the better of him and diverted from the gameplan.

‘‘I wanted Joe to work the double jab a lot more,’’ Barry said in assessing the performance. ‘‘We actually spent the whole training camp throwing thousands of body shots. Joe sort of went a wee bit away from that.’’

It has been four years since Parker teamed up with Barry. During their Las Vegas training camps they are practically around each other 24/7.

It is only natural that they would become close but have they become too close? Are the messages no longer getting through like they used to?

At 25, Parker still has room to grow which is why the next few years are so important. He needs to be pushed out of his comfort zone to find significant improvement.

I would not suggest moving on from Barry unless there were better replacements but the relationship with Bob Arum has opened up a world of opportunities.

If the legendary promoter can attract the help of world-class trainers – the likes of Freddie Roach and Abel Sanchez both work with Top Rank boxers – Duco, and Parker, would be doing themselves a disservice if they did not at least consider a switch.

Which brings us to the second part of this debate. Like Barry, Duco should be applauded for Parker’s success. And say what you like about director David Higgins’ antics leading up to last week’s title defence, he at least drew some interest to the bout – something Fury’s promotion team clearly struggled to do.

Having been forced into the Fury fight, Higgins deserves the chance to take Parker forward but with a unification bout within touching distance the pressure is on to steer him in the right direction.

Duco has options and every decision they make will determine whether Parker reaches his full potential. If they are honest with themselves about the last two performances, they may realise it is time for a shake-up.