Boxing: Tank takes aim at Parker and Barry

Sherman Williams (left) has been knocked out only once in 52 fights. Photo / Getty Images

Joseph Parker's next heavyweight boxing opponent - US heavyweight Sherman "The Tank" Williams - will fight world champion Wladimir Klitschko every two days, meaning he has to shelve temporarily his career as a rugby tighthead prop.

Sherman, now 41 but still a bullishly strong man and prop for the Treasure Coast Pirates rugby club in his Florida base, begins life on Friday as a sparring partner for Klitschko in his preparation for his world title bout against Alex Leapai in Germany on April 26. Parker's bout against Williams is on the undercard and is 22-year-old Parker's biggest step into the heavyweight spotlight yet.

Not only is Williams experienced (52 fights for 36 wins, 2 draws and 13 losses with one no-contest, when he and former champion Evander Holyfield clashed heads in 2011), he is a significant upgrade for Parker in terms of quality and credibility. No one else Parker has fought would come close to being good enough to spar with Klitschko.

Williams suits the profile Klitschko needed; Leapai, the 34-year-old Australian-based heavyweight is a durable, burly 1.83m fighter with a big right hand. Williams is 1.80m, strongly built, with a big right hand and granite jaw. He has been knocked out only once in 52 bouts.

"Where I come from [the Bahamas], it's a former British colony so we play a lot of traditional sports there like cricket, of course, rugby and boxing. I love my rugby, I started playing after school but I just play for fun these days."

Williams will be a considerable step up and risk for Parker whose biggest win was over ageing South African brawler Frans Botha, well past his best at 44.

There is a danger with boxers when their handlers keep matching them with unknowns; they can be embarrassed when they finally meet a quality fighter or are surprised, as undefeated Russian heavyweight Denis Boytsov was by Leapai when earning his shot at Klitschko. Boytsov was highly ranked but had not beaten anyone of real note in his 32 fights before Leapai.

Williams has fought and lost to Holyfield, undefeated Swedish giant Robert Helenius (ranked ninth in the world by the IBF), Manuel Charr (sixth by the WBA) and Ruslan Chagaev (ranked sixth by the WBA and third by the IBF). He has defeated no big name fighters but will still test Parker, whose fast hands and ringcraft suggest this could be a classic boxer vs puncher contest.

"I've got decent hand speed too," said Williams, "and I have power in both hands. I bring a lot of experience to the ring and I will just keep fighting and wear Joseph Parker down, looking for a chance to take my shot."

Williams said of Parker: "I had never heard of him before but then I looked him up; he's young, an up-and-comer, and he seems to have an amateur pedigree. He seems to be a pretty decent fighter."

Told that Parker's coach Kevin Barry had been quoted as saying that Williams was not in the class of Andriy Rudenko, the 24-0 Ukrainian heavyweight originally selected as Parker's foe, Williams said: "I think Kevin Barry must be a bit punch drunk. Rudenko hasn't fought anyone. I have fought some big names, Rudenko hasn't. I have had some losses but I got screwed out of a few with dud decisions although, for a couple, I wasn't in the right place either mentally or physically.

"I'll be in the right place for Parker and if Kevin Barry wants to get in the ring, I'll whup his ass too."