Joseph Parker will arrive back in New Zealand today to put the finishing touches on his preparation for his upcoming bout with Brian Minto.
Parker's trainer Kevin Barry believes his young heavyweight charge is looking as good as he ever has following their training camp in Las Vegas and there'sno denying the 22-year-old will need to take another step forward when he meets American veteran Minto in South Auckland on July 5.
After knocking out Afa Tatupu late last year and stopping Brazilian Marcelo Luiz Nascimento in the seventh round in Germany in April, Parker extended his career record to a perfect 8-0.
But both of those fights included lapses from Parker who has displayed a tendency to get too eager and look for a finish rather than sticking to his fight plan.
Minto (39-7) represents a stiffer challenge and showed during his TKO victory over Shane Cameron in December that he likes to bring the fight inside, lead with his head and isn't opposed to throwing elbows if he can get away with it.
Given Parker's superior size and speed, he will need to keep on the outside, work his jab and look to use combinations to beat the 1.80m Minto.
"He's had a very good camp," Barry said of Parker. "This is the fight that Joseph needed to really motivate him and he's prepared very, very well. This is the best Joseph Parker I've seen since I started working with him in April last year."
Parker's training camp focused on improving his cardiovascular fitness to ensure he will be quick enough to match it with Minto and there's a good chance he will be lighter than the 108kg he fought at when he beat Nascimento.
It wouldn't be boxing without a few mind games and Barry was at it last week as he called for thorough drug testing before the fight as he raised concerns around the improved physical condition of Minto.
The 39-year-old Minto, ranked 12th by the WBO, laughed off the calls, welcomed the testing and said he was ready for the bout after working under Kiwi trainer Chris Martin during his time in New Zealand.
"This is the hardest I've ever worked in my career and I'm just going to be honest with you and tell you the truth because immaturity was what held me back; and ignorance," Minto said.
"It's a sport that you've got to be dedicated to and that goes for discipline with your social life, the food you intake and the way you train."
Minto's WBO Oriental heavyweight title will be on the line in Manukau in two weeks as well as Parker's PABA interim crown.
