Dereck Chisora, a controversial fighter who has lost twice to Tyson Fury and went 12 rounds with Vitali Klitschko, is at it again, saying Joseph Parker has yet to prove himself and warning the New Zealand world champion not to come to Europe because "I will beat you up".
If heavyweight Parker, the holder of the WBO title who will face Englishman Hughie Fury in his first defence in Auckland on May 6, notices Chisora's comments he will view them with a large helping of salt.
It is understood that the Zimbabwe-born and British-based Chisora was on the radar of Parker's promoters Duco Events a couple of year ago, but now he would be a fringe contender at best for Parker's belt.
"He's boxed nobodies, taxi drivers, bus drivers in New Zealand," Chisora said of Parker despite the fact the south Aucklander has what is generally regarded as a better record than fellow heavyweight champions Anthony Joshua or Deontay Wilder.
"He has to prove himself, he's got to come out of the jungle he's been living in down there, far away from the world and come and live down on this side.
Asked if Parker, 25, should be fighting in Europe, Chisora said: "Is that a risk he wants to take? It's a big risk, if the money's right everyone will come. People will go anywhere if the money is right.
"If he's a real good talent and a real honest talent, he should come. Everyone wants to come to Europe. American fighters are coming here now. Europe, this is where it is happening."
Parker's fight against Fury is likely to be his last in New Zealand for the foreseeable future as the bigger markets in the UK and US present more lucrative opportunities.
Wladimir Klitschko's trainer, Johnathan Banks, said it was time for Parker to fight away from home to boost his profile as much as anything else, but here too Chisora is a dissenting voice, although his comments were no doubt tongue-in-cheek.
"Don't come to Europe because I will beat you up," he said. "That's it, that's the advice I can give him because there's more tougher fighters in Europe right now than anywhere else in the world."
Asked if he would fight Parker, Chisora, who has been suspended for biting and who slapped Klitschko during the weigh-in of their 2012 fight, said: "It's about money. For me, I don't care about the titles. It's about the greens. It's about the dollar, show me the money."