Pettaway said he also had added motivation for the up-coming bout. He and his wife, Jennifer, have just celebrated the birth of their daughter Jordan back home in Ohio.
"So that is a lot of motivation and drive for me too for this fight, because I have never been so focused in my career."
He said he really wanted to win the fight for his baby girl: "Daddy has to do good for this fight."
Pettaway was in Rotorua yesterday, with his trainer Terence Kelly, to promote the bout. The pair are travelling down the country doing media interviews before flying back home on Monday.
A laid-back Pettaway, who was not fast to talk himself up, said he would rely a lot on his experience when he gets in the ring.
"I feel like I have got a little more fight experience than [Joseph] does and I think that will play out in the fight."
Pettaway said it would be a huge achievement to defeat Parker: "It would open up doors for me and do great things for my future career."
Pettaway said he first got into boxing after meeting Muhammad Ali in person when he was a child.
His longtime trainer Kelly said Pettaway was a very fast and difficult boxer to fight against.
"Looking at the tapes of Joseph, you know, he struggled a little bit against fighters that boxed, who moved and gave angles and Jason is that type of fighter. He is a little more of a skilled fighter, so I think that will give [Joseph] problems in the fight."
Meanwhile, Parker has been given the chance to train with world champ Wladimir Klitschko in Austria in April. Parker will be Klitschko's sparring partner.
