Paul Lewis: Plan for Parker not hitting a bum note

Joseph Parker is now ranked 14th in the world by the WBO. Photo / Getty Images

Prepare for more bleating that boxing promoters are pushing New Zealand heavyweight hopeful Joseph Parker too hard, too fast if, as is possible, the rising heavyweight is set up to fight US boxer Fres Oquendo at the end of the year.

There have been such moans since 22-year-old Parker convincingly beat little-known American Keith Thompson this month and is heading for his October bout with Sherman 'The Tank' Williams - the match-up originally planned for the undercard of world champion Wladimir Klitschko's predictable defeat of Samoan-Australian Alex Leapai in Germany earlier this year. Williams made headlines when, as Klitschko's sparring partner for that fight, he was allegedly sent home for being out of condition. There were other, contrasting tales that Klitschko had tired of Williams' bad attitude - perhaps a more likely explanation than Williams' contention he was hitting Klitschko too hard.

That led to Williams pulling out of his fight with Parker. He instead fought Brazil's Marcelo Luiz Nascimento, winning well, although the big Brazilian (1.96m) gave Parker a few problems.

October's bout will mean Parker will have had four fights in, gasp, six months and five in eight months by the end of the year. Anyone who thinks that is too rigorous an itinerary knows little about boxing nor about the level of fitness Parker has already attained under demanding trainer Kevin Barry.

Fact: Former heavyweight champ George Foreman fought 13 times in 1969

Fact: Mike Tyson fought 15 times in 1995

Fact: Klitschko fought 13 times in 1997, also on his way up.

It's all about the quality of opponent. One critique that Parker was being pushed too far offered undefeated Australian heavyweight Lucas Browne as a shining example. The critic said he had done the hard yards, earning the title shot he had waited for.

Hooey. Browne is undefeated (25-0), a big bloke with some colourful tats and his management team have to be congratulated for getting him up the rankings and into the eyeline of promoters. He is ranked seventh in the IBF, 17th in the IBO and doesn't crack the top 15 in the WBA, WBC or WBO (who now rank Parker 14th in the world). Browne is close to scoring an IBF mandatory, probably against US fighter Steve Cunningham, the winner of which will face Klitschko in a title fight. But Browne has got there by fighting few opponents of real class.

One stands out - James Toney, once a three-weight world champion (he started as a middleweight) but who is now 45 and a spent force in the heavyweights; plus lesser-known Ukrainian Andriy Rudenko, a tough customer once lined up to fight Parker. Rudenko (a member of the Klitschko K2 stable) was also undefeated and had himself yet to face anyone of note.

So holding Browne up as some sort of poster boy for old-school boxing and worthy ascent up the rankings is a bit of a laugh. What boxers and promoters say is often about striking a posture and marketing as much as anything.

Browne has gobbed off in Parker's direction but it's money that really talks. His team are aiming him at the mandatory and Klitschko rather than a one-off bout against Parker who, with 50-odd amateur fights, has much more boxing in his background than Browne, never an amateur and a 35-year-old former MMA exponent.

Which brings us back to Oquendo and Williams. The latter, if he is in shape, is an upgrade for Parker in terms of credibility. He has fought 52 times and been knocked out only once in 13 losses. He hits hard - you don't get invited to spar with Klitschko if you are a pudding, even if the several big-name boxers Williams has fought have all beaten him. At 41, 1.8m and built like a tank, he is another of a succession of shorter, strong, punchers the speedy Parker has fought.

Oquendo is known as 'Fast Fres' and would have the quickest hands Parker has yet faced, although the fight may not come about if Oquendo decides on another opponent.

Oquendo lost a majority decision in last month's WBA second-string title fight to 35-year-old Uzbekistani Ruslan Chagaev, who will never be counted among the sport's great champions.

But, at 41 and on the way down, Oquendo shapes as another step up and a good test for Parker. He has fought well-performed boxers like Toney, Evander Holyfield, John Ruiz and Chris Byrd.

Oquendo won his first 22 fights before meeting an in-form David Tua in 2002 and was controlling the fight before Tua dropped him late in the bout in a career-changing loss.

Parker has also yet to fight (apart from Nascimento) a really big, tall, powerful and fast fighter in the heavyweights. That will come. With the heavyweight division at one of its weakest ebbs of all time (apart from Klitschko), now is a good time to be 'blooding' Parker.

Too far, too fast, too young? Nah.