Boxing: Joseph Parker packs on the pounds as dangerous Zhilei Zhang rematch looms

New Zealand's Joseph Parker jabs Chinese opponent Zhilei Zhang in the WBO interim heavyweight title fight during the Knockout Chaos Boxing event in Saudia Arabia on March 9 this year. Photo / Stephen Dunkley, Round 'N' Bout Media

Joseph Parker has packed on eight kilograms of muscle – and could add more – as he attempts to minimise the size disparity for a likely dangerous rematch with Zhilei Zhang in Saudi Arabia.

Parker attended an announcement in Auckland on Wednesday to confirm his first foray into boxing promotion, as the Kiwi boxer joins forces with Duco Events boss David Higgins and respected Australian trainer Noel Thornberry in their bid to guide David Nyika to the world cruiserweight title.

While Parker will be involved in promoting Nyika’s 10th professional fight against a yet-to-be-confirmed opponent in Auckland on September 14, his focus is fixed on continuing to climb the heavyweight ranks after impressive victories over Deontay Wilder and Zhang in the last six months.

Parker is awaiting official confirmation, but everything points to an October rematch with Zhang in Saudi Arabia.

“At the moment I’m preparing for Zhang because that’s what I’m contracted for but it depends on what Saudi Arabia and Turki Alalshikh wants,” Parker told the Herald.

“I was told September, now, hopefully, October and hopefully we can lock in an opponent so we can start taking it down to what we need to do for a certain fighter and style.”

With the Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk undisputed heavyweight rematch scheduled for December and Anthony Joshua expected to square off against British contender Daniel Dubois, a second Parker-Zhang fight appears highly likely to progress as planned after the Chinese veteran floored Wilder with a fifth-round knockout in his comeback earlier this month.

With that fight in mind, Parker has spent the last two months training in Auckland with his strength and conditioning guru George Lockhart. The results are telling, with Parker adding eight kilos to his frame.

In their first fight, Parker had to survive two knockdowns to emerge with a majority-decision victory as the 41-year-old Zhang slowed to a slumber in the later rounds. Diminishing Zhang’s weight advantage should help Parker absorb the Chinese fighter’s vaunted power and avoid similar adversity should they, indeed, meet again soon.

“The first fight was tough. Zhang ‘the big bang’ can bang,” Parker said. “The biggest difference between us in the first fight was weight. I was 113kg, he was 133kg. Now I’m here in New Zealand with George we’re building to be bigger, faster, stronger and still having the best conditioning. We’re going to minimise that gap if it is Zhang again.”

Alongside training, Lockhart is cooking every meal for Parker at his home.

“Here in New Zealand I’m spending good time with my family but I’m building. I went from 113kg to 121kg. Hopefully it’s all muscle,” Parker said.

“The last year has been incredible where I’ve learnt so much, not just in boxing, but the training aspect and nutrition. I love the journey way more now because I understand what I’m doing and why. Everything is on track for a great run to the championship.”

Provided the October date with Zhang comes to fruition, Parker will continue his physical transformation under Lockhart before travelling to Ireland to link with boxing trainer Andy Lee in August.

“My eyes are never off the prize. It’s good to have this promotion on the side and something to be excited about but my role is to be champ of the world. That’s what I want to do, that’s what I’m focused on.

“I’ve always thought about doing promotion after boxing to promote young fighters. Now we have a fighter like David Nyika, the boxing world already knows him with what he’s done in his amateur and professional career. We want to take him to the top. He’s got great work ethic, he trains hard, he sacrifices a lot. It’s up to us to lock in the right fights and for him to take those opportunities.”