Ahead of his big heavyweight contenders clash with Dereck Chisora on Saturday, airing on DAZN worldwide except UK, Ireland, New Zealand and Samoa, Joseph Parker has explained the process behind his recent training changes.
After spending eight years training for big fights in Las Vegas, Nevada alongside his New Zealand compatriot Kevin Barry, Parker will be accompanied by former middleweight champion Andy Lee in Manchester on May 1.
Parker's sluggish performance in his recent victory over Junior Fa saw the former WBO champion look frustrated more than once throughout the awkward 12-rounder, and many fans felt the wide decision score in Parker's favour was extremely flattering.
As a result, a change has been made and the Kiwi told The Daily Star how Tyson Fury, who currently holds the WBC title and is set to meet Anthony Joshua in a huge unification later this year, helped make it happen.
“I thought about Tyson and the changes he has made in trainers so I sent him a text and asked if I could ask him some questions," Parker explained.
“He gave me a call, he said he really rates Andy in the top three trainers he has worked with. With the names he has worked with, that is a great recommendation.
“The next thing I was on Zoom calls with Andy, three or four calls later we were starting to make this plan and six days later I was on a plane flying to Ireland, so things happened really quick. There was nothing wrong with the old camp, I just needed something different.”
Morecambe, Fury's home town, is a pleasant coastal location but a culture shock was nonetheless likely at first.
“It was certainly a world away from Las Vegas,” Parker admitted. “But it was like a home from home.
“Tyson trains very hard, I thought that my level was high – well it is high – but when I trained alongside Tyson I could see the difference
“Andy said it was a great move just to be around the energy that he has, just to see how he works. I did some body sparring with Tyson, he did 15 rounds one day, he is a beast.There's something about him, his energy, it lifts you.”
Parker promised an improvement at the weekend as a result of the change in scenery when he faces Chisora, who himself looked far more motivated in his last fight, a defeat to Oleksandr Usyk.
“I feel like we connected from the beginning," he said. “This feels like the beginning of my career again. I feel like you're going to see a refreshed me."
Watch Parker vs. Chisora on DAZN everywhere except New Zealand, Samoa, the UK and Ireland.