Former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker says he wants to make a statement by knocking out former amateur foe Junior Fa on February 27.
Parker, who faces unbeaten rival Fa at the Spark Arena in New Zealand, says he wants to leave no question about who their nation’s finest heavyweight is.
“I’ll knock him out between rounds one and twelve! I know what I can do,” Parker said to Stuff. “I’m not one of those guys who can predict what’s going to happen, but I know if I go in there, let my hands go and throw combinations, that I can do a lot of damage and he’s going to be on the receiving end of that.
“This fight feels different in the sense that it wasn’t really a fight we were looking at. But with everything that happened with COVID, it was the only option. But it’s great that we’re both ranked in the top ten in the world and live not far from each other.
“It’s a little different that I’m back in New Zealand, fighting in front of family and friends and a crowd, because the last few fights I’ve had have been overseas. There’s also a lot of talk about who’s the best heavyweight in New Zealand. I believe that I’m the best and I want to prove that and show it.”