Former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has had a generous offer of help turned down by Joseph Parker.
The big-talking Fury approached Parker, offering to be his sparring partner in the build-up to the Kiwi's unification fight against Anthony Joshua on March 31 in Cardiff.
The former champion, who recently announcedhis return to the sport, said Parker could find "no better sparring partner" than him.
"@joeboxerparker I've got a show on the night your boxing in England but if you want I'll come spar you when your in uk training for the fight, it wil help both me & you, you won't find better sparing than me I promise you. Let me know pal?" he said on Twitter.
@joeboxerparker I've got a show on the night your boxing in England but if you want I'll come spar you when your in uk training for the fight, it wil help both me & you, you won't find better sparing than me I promise you. Let me know pal?
However, Parker's camp has turned down the offer, believing that Fury isn't the right sparring fit in the lead-up to his showdown with Joshua.
"Tyson Fury's a great guy, but with all due respect to him, I don't think it's the right person to spar because he moves around well for a big guy and he doesn't come forward, and he's a lot taller," Parker told RadioLIVE.
"So I think Kev [Kevin Barry] and our team have done some research and we found guys that we think that doesn't have everything Joshua has, but each of them have bits that we can see or help us prepare for what he brings.
"We want guys to come forward and we can just smash them, and for them to throw everything at us - the kitchen sink - and just try and knock us out. But with Fury, as the fighter he is, he's a smart fighter who doesn't stand there, who doesn't absorb a lot of punches and likes to move."
Tyson Fury celebrates with Joseph Parker following the Kiwi's WBO heavyweight title defence against Hughie Fury. Photo / @joeboxerparker Twitter
Parker and his team are adamant they need a sparring partner who is of high intensity, one who can take a heavy punch and carry on coming at the WBO heavyweight champ.
The Kiwi-Samoan fighter also delved into the game plan he intends on using to bring about Joshua's downfall.
"He's dominated fighters that stand in front of him, that don't move - all they do is protect themselves and I think a lot of fighters already go into the ring scared because of the power he possesses," Parker said.
"I think movement, speed and just different angles - I think that's how we are going to attack Joshua."
Despite rejecting Fury's offer, the pair's relationship has blossomed over the past five months following Parker's victory over Tyson's cousin Hughie.
Fury, sporting an out-of-shape belly, was seen celebrating with Parker and posing for photos after his title defence against Hughie.
But the door hasn't been completely shut on Fury, saying he won't rule out bringing in the former champion for the experience.
"I think a person that has already been there, done that, to have him around so he can say some encouraging things, he knows how the opposition, a lot of them, how they roll and what they do."
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