Joseph Parker: ‘I was blessed with a talent and the talent is boxing’
25 March 2018 08:30
The WBO heavyweight champion reveals his rich Samoan boxing roots and why it would be unwise for Anthony Joshua to prod the quiet beast in CardiffJoseph Parker’s big brown eyes light up with childlike intensity when he is asked about Samoa, where his fighting heart was forged and where it will remain. The WBO heavyweight champion for now is a commuter between his adopted home, New Zealand, his workplace, Las Vegas, and London. Here, he has politely parked his rock-like frame in Anthony Joshua’s manor as he prepares for their unification title fight in Cardiff on Saturday, rugged up against the fading winter chill in fawn designer coat and reluctant to part with the new woollen cap that warms his head.Fighters are notoriously wary of cold weather that can cause illness as they drive their bodies to the limit. You sense Parker might prefer to be sitting under a palm tree in Upolu, the most populated of Samoa’s 11 main islands, where his mother, Sala, is from and where Robert Louis Stevenson is buried. But his calling is strong. As the 26-year-old says: “I enjoy the pain.” Related: Anthony Joshua raring to shine again on big stage against Joseph Parker Related: Anthony Joshua raises Joseph Parker threat level with Deontay Wilder dig Continue readingread full article
