Joseph Parker believes he is winning the battle of the minds during an extended cold war stage of his world heavyweight unification title fight against Anthony Joshua before the physical hostilities break out in Cardiff.
In an interview with the Herald before tomorrow's press conference with Joshua at Sky Television'swest London studios, Parker said he was enjoying himself despite the unrelenting glare of the spotlight as Sunday morning NZT gets ever closer.
"It's a bit of banter," Parker said. "It's fun and games. I think their team are taking it more seriously than we are. We're rolling with the punches – it doesn't affect us. They're taking it a bit more personally. It shows who's winning."
Parker will come face to face with Joshua tomorrow for the first time since January and his assured performance in a head-to-head interview with the Englishman.
Much has changed since. Parker, confident in his own abilities three months ago, has lost a significant amount of weight – 4kg in his first week of training in Las Vegas alone – and is in good form mentally and physically after double elbow surgery at the end of last year revealed by the Herald last week.
He is flourishing here in London, a rapidly maturing 26-year-old who is comfortable as a champion and determined to stay that way in every respect.
Parker's movement, timing and speed looks superb in training, his elbows delivering without pain the power from his heavily muscled shoulders, and he looks sharp out of the ring. He plains to wear yet another tailored suit (he has been sent three from New Zealand from one of his sponsors) to the press conference.
"I back myself," he said. "I haven't got a care in the world. I just want to get in there and show who I am. I'm a lot more comfortable now."
Parker aims to make tomorrow difficult for Joshua. The New Zealander and his promoter David Higgins have warned the 28-year-old to arrive at the press conference, scheduled to start at midnight Tuesday NZT, on time or else they will start without him.
It is a gambit brilliant in its simplicity and potentially deadly in its execution; turn up on time and Joshua appears to be following the orders of Parker and Higgins, turn up late as usual and he is being "disrespectful" and must make an awkward entrance to his own press conference.
Parker said: "He has a track record of turning up late to press conferences and a few things, so I think we'll put pressure on him to show up on time and be professional. I think if he doesn't show up on time we'll start at 12."
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