Joseph Parker doesn’t just watch Daniel Dubois — he absorbs him. On the treadmill, walking to the shops, scrolling on his phone between training sessions, he is everywhere.
Footage of Dubois’s knockouts play on repeat as Parker studies his tendencies, his mistakes and, most importantly, his confidence ahead of Saturday’s clash in Saudi Arabia.
‘I’ve watched many fights with Dubois,’ Parker, 33, tells Mail Sport. ‘When I’m running on a treadmill, working in the gym, even when I’m in front of a screen, I put his fights on. Dubois v Kevin Lerena, Dubois v Jarrell Miller, Dubois v Oleksandr Usyk, Dubois v Anthony Joshua. I’m obsessed.
‘He looked very good in all of them. You can see the confidence, backing himself, believing in himself more than ever — that’s what makes him dangerous. But he’s got no chance against me’.
For 24 hours, Mail Sport is immersed in Parker’s camp here in Dublin, witnessing his relentless pursuit of one goal: dethroning Dubois. From early morning weigh-ins and skipping and pad work with trainer Andy Lee to gruelling strength sessions with trainer and nutritionist George Lockhart, every meal and movement is fuelled by purpose.
For breakfast Parker has six eggs, three slices of white pudding, a generous serving of lean mince and a heap of pressure-cooked potatoes — perfectly crisp, just the way Parker insists on having them. Lockhart admits they are burning through 30-40 eggs every two to three days just to keep up with his appetite.
Then, before his morning training session, Parker steps into the ring alone. He stands in the blue corner, eyes locked on an invisible opponent. Taking a deep breath, he surges forward after the imaginary bell rings, fists slicing through the air, boxing a rival that isn’t there. But to him, the fight has already begun.
‘Visualisation is key,’ Parker explains. ‘It’s important to go over what you’re going to do in your mind. You need to know what you want to implement and practise it — in training, in the gym, in your mind — so when you’re in the fight, you’ve already done it. In my mind, I’ve knocked Dubois out multiple times. You’ll see it happen on Saturday.’
Parker will challenge Daniel Dubois (left) for his IBF belt in Saudi Arabia on February 22
Dubois put in a career best performance to knock Anthony Joshua out in September
After winning the WBO heavyweight title in 2016, Parker lost direction. He had reached the summit but instead of feeling fulfilled, he felt lost.
‘I couldn’t really understand my feelings at the time. Now I can look back and say it — I was depressed. I didn’t know what was next. I was lost. I had fights locked in but I wasn’t taking them seriously. I was partying and searching for that high again.
‘I wasn’t enjoying boxing; there was no smile. Maybe on the outside but inside I was miserable. There was no fulfilment. You’re just there to be there. You’re in the gym but you’re not really putting the work in. I was going through the motions and not appreciating it or enjoying it’.
Parker had fought for New Zealand, for Samoa, for his father, for his coach at the time, Kevin Barry. But not for himself.
‘My dad wanted to be a boxer but he couldn’t because of a disability. He introduced me to the sport. I didn’t feel pressure to live the dream for him but I wanted to do it for him. I knew I wanted to be a boxer my whole life but then when I was trying to become champion of the world, I really wanted it for him. Not me.
‘I wanted to make him proud, to win the championship of the world so bad for New Zealand, Samoa, for my coach. It was their dream, their goal.’
Tyson Fury first bonded with Parker on a ‘wild night’ out that saw the Gypsy King carried out of a Manchester nightclub, hours after the pair had performed a shirtless Haka following the New Zealander’s 2017 victory over Fury’s cousin Hughie. Tyson has faced similar struggles to Parker albeit under a greater spotlight.
‘I’ve had my fair share of unforgettable nights with Tyson,’ says Parker. ‘One time, we were at dinner in Las Vegas when the restaurant played The Champ Is Here. I was walking behind him being like, oh yeah — and then we bumped into Floyd Mayweather in the club! There’s also the night we first met. That was wild. Let’s just say the shirtless Haka photos are out there somewhere!’
If Parker beats Dubois, he will become a two-time heavyweight champion after previously beating Andy Ruiz Jr in 2016 to claim the WBO title
Parker told Mail Sport he was depressed after winning his first world title but insists things are different this time around
Parker is heavier but leaner heading into the fight with Dubois, claiming he’s better than ever
Mail Sport watched Parker being put through his paces by trainer Andy Lee (pictured above)
As their friendship deepened and they combined camps in Morecambe, the pair began to share their struggles. ‘We have spoken about our mental health,’ he says. ‘It was very similar what we went through. We were both in a bad place. The only difference is he stopped boxing and it was all over the media, whereas I kept boxing and kept it quiet.’
Things are different for Parker now. ‘My goals are my own this time. I have two, three years left and I want to give it my absolute best. When I walk away, I want to know I gave everything I had.
‘If I had the focus I have now earlier in my career, I would have been unstoppable. I used to think the more you train, the better you get, but that’s old-school thinking. I’ve learnt about nutrition, recovery, and balance. Now I train smarter, not just harder, and I’m going to demolish Dubois.’
Before world titles and million-pound fights, Parker’s family had nothing. They couldn’t afford to send him to tournaments abroad from his home in south Auckland. When he went to the amateur world championships in Azerbaijan, he went alone.
Through it all, his motivation was never fame or fortune — it was family and his parents who had emigrated from Samoa to New Zealand in the early 1980s.
His proudest achievement? ‘Buying my parents a house,’ he says. ‘That meant everything.’
Material things still have their appeal. He remembers his first purchase — not a sports car but a beat-up Toyota Corolla for $5,000.
‘It was a 1996 or 1994 car but I got it done up — new sound system, everything. That was my first big purchase. Then it was my parents’ house, then taking care of my wife, now it’s providing for my kids. Things have changed.’
Parker encouraged Mail Sport’s Charlotte Daly to join in with his core circuit in the evening
Parker says he has learnt to train ‘smarter’ after admitting he used to overtrain before fights
Parker first bonded with Tyson Fury on a ‘wild night’ out that ended with the Gypsy King being carried out of a Manchester nightclub hours after the pair had performed a shirtless Haka
Over the years, as their friendship deepened and they combined camps in Morecambe Bay, the pair began to share their struggles and lean on each other
For everything boxing has given Parker, it has taken away moments he can never get back. ‘I would have loved to be at every birth of my children but I wasn’t. I’d have loved to be there for my wife. I missed my sister’s wedding, my dad’s 60th, and my mum’s birthday.
‘That’s the sacrifice you have to make if you want to be great. I’m just lucky they all understand.’
Discipline dictates Parker’s every move. Each morning starts with a grimace as he downs baking soda, a ritual he swears by despite loathing the taste. He pushes his body to the limit, plunging into the Irish sea’s icy depths for a morning swim as waves crash on to concrete steps.
When I mention Mail Sport is heading out for a ‘spice bag’ and a pint of Guinness, his eyes light up. ‘A Guinness?’ he laughs. ‘It’s never just one Guinness. I would kill to join you guys!’
If one indulgence keeps him going, it’s ‘Sushi Sunday’. The mere mention of his weekly cheat meal brings a sparkle to his eyes.
‘I get 32 pieces of sushi, as much fish as I want, edamame too — life is good. But no mayo, no extra sauces. Just plain rainbow rolls. I love the salmon avocado roll but it’s too small. I want it bigger.’
Parker doesn’t just want to beat Dubois. He needs to. This time, it’s about proving something to himself. If he does win he becomes Joseph Parker, the two-time heavyweight world champion. That has a nice ring to it.
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