Joseph Parker’s trainer Andy Lee believes his former world champion is a level above “The Juggernaut”.
Joyce and Parker will face off in a heavyweight showdown at the AO Arena, Manchester on September 24 in what is a matchup between the World Boxing Organisation’s (WBO) number one and number two contenders.
Boxing Social’s Ali Drew caught up with Lee, in Belfast where his young fighter Paddy Donovan recently fought on Michael Conlan’s undercard, to talk about Parker’s upcoming fight against Joyce.
“We know what Joe Joyce does, he’s aggressive, he’s unrelenting, he brings a lot of pressure, and he’s a big, big man. But Parker, my Joseph, has incredible hand speed. I don’t think Joyce has ever fought somebody like Joe Parker before and I think Parker is all wrong for Joyce.”
The former WBO middleweight champion, who was in the corner alongside Sugar Hill Steward for Tyson Fury’s rematch and trilogy fight versus Deontay Wilder, as well as the title defence versus Dillian Whyte, has worked with Parker ever since his first fight with Derek Chisora in May of last year.
Lee reiterated his belief that Parker is a level above Joyce:
“Parker is an elite heavyweight, an elite heavyweight, and Joyce has never been in that company yet, so whoever wins the fight is the main challenger to the top three or four guys.”
It’s been confirmed that if Parker wins the fight there is a rematch clause in the contract which Joyce can activate, however, Lee’s confident they won’t want to exercise that option:
If Parker can do what I think he can do, it could be like a Calzaghe-Lacy situation where he outclasses him – and there is a rematch clause – but if Parker does what I want him to do and what I think he can do I can’t see there being much clamour for a rematch.
The winner of the September 24 bout will be next in line to fight the winner of the Oleksandr Usyk – Anthony Joshua rematch which takes place in Saudi Arabia on August 20.