"If I didn't put in the work you'd feel a bit nervous coming in towards the fight week... But I know that I've put everything in in the gym and know when it comes to fight night I want to show everyone what I've been training so hard for."
Nascimento has to be commended for taking the fight with a week's notice and the 1.96m 33-year-old (17-5) is the tallest man Parker has ever climbed in the ring with.
"It is going to be a challenge in that sense," Parker said.
But Nascimento won't have the quickness of the 1.92m South Aucklander, while Parker's camp insist his power has increased since he knocked out Afa Tatupu in Auckland in October. Going by the size of his legs there's evidence to suggest he has the base to hit harder than ever.
Parker (7-0) has sparred with Bermane Stiverne during the lead-up to this week's fight - the Canadian will meet Chris Arreola for the vacant WBC world heavyweight title next month.
"I'm ready for anyone they put me in the ring with," Parker said.
The man who has the nerves this week is trainer Kevin Barry.
"It's a big change and it's a change that for me, as the coach, I'm really concerned about," Barry said of the opponent switch. "We've spent the last two months training for Sherman 'The Tank' Williams... I just said: 'Nothing changes'. Everything we've done in the last 12 weeks has been geared up to Joseph performing on the 27th of April."
For the record, Barry won the game of euchre.
Daniel Richardson is in Germany courtesy of Duco Events.
