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It is not every day that we preface a boxing story with a selection of the most renowned ring monikers in the legend of the Noble Art. World champions all.
But then it is not every week that a fighter whose pseudonym is barely readable, let alone readily pronounced, challenges for the world heavyweight title.
When Joseph Parker enters the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh this Saturday night the announcer will be required to proclaim him as Lupesoliai La’auliolemalietoa.
Good luck with that, which translates from Samoan as High Chief of two neighbouring villages on those South Pacific Islands. It was from there that Parker’s parents emigrated to New Zealand in the 1980s. To which he travels ‘two to four times a year’ to offer respects to the community which bestowed that honour upon him.
‘I’m massively proud of that title,’ he says. ‘Just as I am to have been world heavyweight champion once already. It would be beautiful to win a second world title. To make it one for each village.’
Joseph Parker is proud of his Samoan heritage and plans to use it to his advantage on Saturday night
He believes his ‘warrior instinct’ will help him beat Britain’s Daniel Dubois in Saudi Arabia
Parker has been heavyweight champion before and is now eyeing a second reign
In a bid to achieve that he will invoke the spirit of his island heritage against Daniel Dubois, the London wearer of the IBF belt who goes by the simpler English nick-name Dynamite.
Samoa’s rugby team perform the Siva Tau, their version of the Maori-derived Haka with which New Zealand’s All Blacks confront England – et al – before kick off.
Do not expect Parker, who was born in Auckland, to dance with costumed menace before the first bell but he says: ‘I have a very strong background in the culture and heritage of Samoa. And with the fighting tradition. My title is a Matai name of the past for warrior.
‘The Samoans are warrior people. My roots there are deep. My grandfather still lives there. As does my grandmother who was one of 27 kids. My dad is one of 28. We are all are part of a very big family spread around the world. Come Saturday night that will be a lot of tickets to give out!
‘I know what is expected of me, as a warrior in the Samoan tradition and as a New Zealander. As a High Chief I carry the responsibility of doing all in my power to respect my origins when I fight on the world stage.’
He pauses to contemplate the destruction of Anthony Joshua wrought by Dubois in the first defence of his IBF title. A four knock-down demolition which not only concussed AJ but also shocked the world. Then he says: ‘The Samoa warrior instinct will need to be in play against Daniel. He’s high on confidence and now looks spectacular in his fights. I need to be bang on point.’
He might have said ‘points,’ which has been his preferred method of defeating the most significant opponents in his 38-fight 35-wins career. Including not least Andy Ruiz Jr when he won the WBO world title in December 2016 and most recently Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang on Saudi Arabian nights.
The latter two have super-charged his painstaking comeback from the loss of his first alpha-belt to Joshua seven years ago. A process which has demanded a change of lifestyle as well as key adjustments to his training and incremental improvements to his skills.
Parker beat Deontay Wilder in December 2023 to get his career firmly back on track
He picked himself up off the canvas twice to beat Zhilei Zhang last March
Hopefully Honest Joe will not mind me adding to his achievements the garland of being one of the most challenging sportsmen with whom to go out on the town in celebration of his victories. On such occasions this man could not only fight for Samoa but drink for New Zealand.
There are oblique references to a reformation when he is asked if the sacrifices have been worthwhile: ‘It’s always worth it when you get the good results in big fights. Listen, I’ve put in the hard work. Worth missing out on Christmases, New Years, birthdays, weddings and all that jazz so as to be fighting to be champion of the world again.
‘I always believed I had the ability to do this well again. But when you have defeats and things not going your way you start asking yourself questions. Like what am I doing wrong? Am I training right? Am I eating right? Am I resting enough? I never wanted to give up. Ever. But I knew I had to make changes.’
Those around him have been fully engaged in that effort: Trainer Andy Lee, nutritionist George Lockhart, by no means least his partner and four daughters and in no small part Tyson Fury.
Of Lee he says: ‘I found myself working with one of the very best trainers in the world. Thanks to his teaching I’ve ticked so many boxes.’
Of Lockhart, who has kept him under supervision through a lengthy training camp: ‘There are a lot of strength and conditioning trainers out there but not many who understanding as much about boxing as George. He has a fighting background and when I realised I wasn’t getting the proper nutrition he was able to implement such things as the right foods to work for boxing. You can’t just eat (and drink) what you like if you want to win world titles.’
All of which supplements the fundamental born courage and the psychological powers of recovery from adversity which are characterising Parker’s redemption.
During his interregnum he became something of a fringe figure on the heavyweight scene. Losses to Joshua, Dillian Whyte and Joe Joyce saw this former champion cast as something of a gateway opponent for the next generation of heavyweights.
A little help and much influence from his friend Fury reinforced his will, as they trained together in Morecambe. The Gypsy King may not have appeared to be an exemplar of dedication but before his latest abdication he developed his Antipodean mate’s sense of how to stay calm in a storm. Parker never fails to credit Fury for ‘giving me so much time and knowledge when we work together.’ One vital input has been an understanding of how to react when stunned.
Few if any in boxing history have risen so often from being knocked flat and semi-conscious as Fury. Most astonishingly after being dropped three times by Wilder, probably the biggest puncher since Mike Tyson, in the course of their epic trilogy.
Fury’s Kiwi protegee would not have been banking big bucks this weekend had he not shown comparable strength of will when floored by Zhang in Riyadh last March.
Dubois demolished Anthony Joshua inside five rounds in September and Parker knows he faces a tough task this weekend
But Parker has stayed calm under pressure before and is confident he can come through another storm to beat Dubois
Parker has been helped by Tyson Fury and appears to be in the best form of his career
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Says Parker: ‘There are moments in a fight when you’re doing quite well and then you get caught by a shot. It’s not easy to keep calm when you’re put down. Nor if under pressure. Nor when the referee says ‘box on’ as you’re getting up and know you’re about to be chased by someone trying to finish you off. You have to remember you’ve put in all the hard work and know you can survive. Against Zhang my fitness and focus saw me through.’
As did his ability and ring intelligence. Parker is a clever boxer who has always laid traps himself while being hard to catch. Now it is more difficult to put him away even when he’s hurt.
He is sensibly aware that Dubois is the biggest hitter of the new boys on the block, admitting: ‘I have to up my game even further against Daniel. His punch out-put is much higher than Wilder’s or Zhang’s so he applies more pressure behind his power. So I have to be even better than I was against those two.’
The Dubois threat does not disturb the serenity founded in his family. Apart from training he has spent the 11 months since his victory over Zhang mostly with his partner – college sweetheart Laine Tavita – and their four daughters.
‘It’s beautiful,’ he reports. ‘With my family everything changes. I’m content. And now I can honestly say I’m a happy fighter who enjoys his work every day. I’m more mature now.’
It is impossible to be anything other than pleased by the return to the heavyweight elite by a pleasant man of such good company.
Win or lose against Dynamite Daniel, Joe, the drinks are on me.
Sorry, the drink.
