Parker moves left for latest challenge
A NEW destination brings a new challenge for rising New Zealand heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker who will face a left-handed opponent for the first time in Samoa in January.
Parker’s Samoan schedule, dubbed ‘‘Rumble in Paradise’’, was confirmed in Apia yesterday.
He will fight at the Faleata Sports Complex, an indoor venue with 2000 seats, on January 23 with the bout kicking off another busy year for the 23-year-old.
Parker’s opponent is yet to be named, but his promoters have confirmed that he will be facing ‘‘a risky left-handed fighter for the very first time’’.
As well as seeing a taller opponent vital to Parker’s continued progression they want to pit him against a ‘‘southpaw’’ to test his defensive patterns and make the necessary attacking adjustments. Southpaws fight with their right foot forward, leading with righthanded jabs to set up their heavy left-handed bombs. Parker welcomed the challenge. ‘‘It’s a different style of fighting and it’s awkward,’’ Parker said.
‘‘Southpaws stand a different way and throw different punches.’’
Parker’s trainer Kevin Barry said the challenge suited the situation.
‘‘When we looked at doing the Samoan fight we saw it as something special and we wanted something different Barry said.
He felt Parker faced a testing time in training, though many of their systems were already suitable for a left-handed opponent.
‘‘A lot of our combination drills will work. It’s more about finetuning a couple of simple things.
‘‘It’s crucial to dictate the terms against a southpaw and a lot of that has to do with foot positioning. These are basic things that we will drill and repeat.’’
Parker doesn’t want to get ahead of himself. He first has to feature on the Fight For Life promotion in Hamilton on December 5 and his opponent there is also still to be announced.
But Parker admitted he was thrilled to be getting a chance to fight in Samoa, where both his parents were born and the island is a regular holiday destination with his family owning property 30 minutes from Apia.
‘‘Samoa is part of who I am and it’s part of my culture and I want to give back to my people,’’ he said.
Parker’s last fight was a third round knockout of veteran Kali Meehan in Auckland last week that took his professional record to 16-0 with 14 KOs.
He is ranked No 6 with the WBO, 13 with the WBA and 14 with the WBC and independent rankings issued by Boxrec saw him leap nine places to No 9.
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