Speaker 1: Well, it is my distinct pleasure to be doing today
by the WBO interim heavyweight champion, Joseph Parker and Joe.
Speaker 2: You have a very.
Speaker 1: Important fight coming up. You'll be taken on Fabio. Worldly
really interesting that to at least to me anyway. It
is October twenty fifth. You're headlining the Queensbury his own
haper newcart take place at the O two Arena in London,
one of the great arenas in boxing. Welcome to the show.
Glad to talk to you again. How's everything you just
told me before we started taping. You've been in Ireland
five and a half weeks getting ready with your trainer,
Andy Lee for this big fight.
Speaker 2: Thanks for having me on that. Good to see you again.
I've been in the island training for five and a
half weeks now, Andy, and we've been being able to
put in some good work to lead into this fight.
I know it's one of those fights where I never
even while coming, you know, I was thinking about fighting
this person and that person, but then this fight was
offers me. I said yes straight away because I just
wanted to fight.
Speaker 1: Well, the Joseph Parker that I have known and covered
for many years has never been a guy that's turned
fighters down, and which brings me to the first thing
I want to ask about, which is to just go
back to your most recent fight that took place in February.
You were, of course scheduled to fight Daniel Dubis challenge
him for the IBF heavyweight title. That was a pretty
big fight, and he pulled out the week of the fight,
said he was ill and instead and we spoke before
that fight, we did one of these interviews before that,
and then it ended up changing the opponent right before
the fight. But anyway, you took on Martin Bucoli in
a fight that was arranged at about what two or
three days notice, and he flew in at the last
minute from where he was in Africa, and so I
mean that's difficult for both guys. You know, him coming
in on short notice, You're having to change your thoughts
from a dui fight to what the Martin b beccauley fight.
Totally different kind of guys. Can you just give me
a little bit of insight into how you approached the change,
especially on such short notice, both physically, if anything, and mentally, you.
Speaker 2: Know that like leading into that fight with then of
Dubois and hitting to the press conference. We found that
on social media that he was ill, and we found
that on the way to the press conference, the fight
with Daniel Danielduba wasn't going tohead. So the last minute change,
obviously grateful to Martin BACAULI were putting up his hand.
And I mean as soon as Danie Dubar pulled out,
I saw tweets on Twitter saying Martin is ready and
Martin will take the fight in. So we're just looking
through the list of who I wanted the Martin Baculea,
because I knew how tough he was, but I didn't
know that what his preparation was, or if he was training,
or where he was in the world. I just thought,
you know what, I've had great spiring of him and
went back and forth, and I just love to fight him,
and you know, he flew in. And my mindset at
the time was I don't care who I fight. I've
been preparing for the champion of the world, Dan Dubar.
I just need someone to be in front of me
so I can let my hands go. So that was
the mindset. I wasn't really worried about who it was. Okay,
so I get turned out.
Speaker 1: And maybe he wasn't an ideal condition because it was
on such short notice, he wasn't in a full training camp.
But I don't think that can take anything away from
you going in there with such a big man and
not just winning, but doing so very emphatically. Is stopping
him big knock had in the second round. So some
people will say, well, you know, short notice, he wasn't ready,
so of course Joseph was able to beat him pretty easily.
On the other hand, hey, Mark mccoley's a tough dude,
no matter whether he's in training or not. He's a
big man, he's got a big punch. How do you
assess your performance and and and given the circumstances.
Speaker 2: Given the circumstances, I was just h I was just
I was thrilled to have an opponent and thrilled to
to to finish the fight how it did, and just
always listened after the fight, he was okay, make sure
that that he was you know, he went back home
with his to his family, but he was, uh, he
was well paid and uh, you know, but it was
one of those things where I at the time, I
just didn't didn't really care who to fight because I
was I was prepaying for the championship the world, and
I was ready to go. Uh and so as I
assisted the performance. Uh good, good to get the win.
Speaker 1: But onto the knicks right well on to the next
I mean you were uh, you know, you were challenging
Dubi for the IBF title, but when the fight was changed,
you then were defending your WBO interim title, which puts
you in position where next up was supposed to be
Alexander Usik, who was allowed to face Daniel Dubois, who,
by the way, got sick and then suddenly finds himself
in that fight. Some people suggest that maybe beld on
you so as not to possibly blow the fight with Usak,
but that's, I guess, a conversation for another day. In
any event, you know he fought the rematch with Usik,
and Usik knocked him out very emphatically, once again and again.
Joseph Parker supposed to be next up. He says he's
got some nagging injuries, a back injury put in for
an exception with the WBO to sort of put off
the mandatory leaves you in a position where you can
either sit and wait or you can go out there
and fight like you're gonna do on October twenty fifth.
You know, to me anyway, Joe, and I don't think
I'm in the minority here that you clearly deserve a
heavyweight championship fight with the way that you've been fighting
over your last several bouts. Did you think about waiting
for him and like was your mindset about, like, Okay,
you know what, I'm not going to get him right away.
He's gonna be out for a while, so I want
to just I want to fight. And you know, now
you've got a very tough looking opponent and Wardley in
front of you.
Speaker 2: My mindset again. After the fight with Martin Bacaudi, I
went back to New Zealand with George Lockott and we
were training. I thought I'd be in New Zealand for
two or three months building the way, building on on
the weights and the running and a little bit boxing
here and did. But I never thought I was going
to be there until August, you know, so I thought,
you know, I thought I was gonna fight in July.
Then I push out to August and Septim and now Optaba.
But did you think it was gonna be Usik or
somebody else. I thought, you know, I instructed the team
please lock on the five musick and when when when
the months were going by days and weeks and the months,
I just looked to myself, you know what stuff this,
I just want to fight. Give me anyone and everyone.
Speaker 1: So once again you're you're waiting for music, but you
obviously have a very tough uh nutt in uh in
front of you. In terms of Fabio Wardley, one thing
I really before you get to the wordy fight when
you were looking to get.
Speaker 2: The fight with you was sick.
Speaker 1: I mean I follow you on social media. You do
these amazing videos where you call them out with the
music and really hilarious with your messages. I think the
fans really like the way that you do that. That's
you don't insult your opponents. There's no bad words. They're
all in good humor, great music, hilario. You've done them
for other fights. Also, I've seen your wife in some
of your videos. I think I've seen your kids in videos.
How does how did you come up with that sort
of creative thing to do that? Because I have to say,
of all the guys out there who are at the top,
level of boxing. You have the most entertaining call outs
of anybody I've ever seen.
Speaker 2: You know, I would love to take credit for them,
but there's a guy named Kirie Russell on my team.
And then started off when we had the lockdown, well
COVID lockdown, and it was in my bubble and what
we wanted to do was just cheer on up and
we just found found something that I love to do,
was re enact movies and do these dance clips and
video clips and singing. I'm just thinking about saying they're
hilarious as a fighter. As a fighter, like you're spending
some of your family, You're worried about the training, you
worried uh getting stronger, getting further, getting sharp, but then
having something else like this, I was just like, you
know what, this is fun. Let's keep doing more and
more and it's just nice you.
Speaker 1: You seem to me anyway, as of all the fighters
I talk to and cover and interview and write about
and everything that you approach everything. I know this is
a serious business, a lot of money at stake, there's
obviously people's health at stake, but you seem to approach
your events, your fights, everything with a certain sense of
joy that I just don't see frankly in a lot
of other fighters. Uh do you am I wrong? Do
you really seem to enjoy like the whole spectacle, the
whole spectacle of the whole thing.
Speaker 2: I enjoy everything. I just say before that what I
can control is what I'm gonna you know, like things
about fighting using that I couldn't. I couldn't control that.
I know Usik was injured and there was a few
things happening behind the scenes, but I couldn't control that.
My approach was, you know what, I'm just gonna enjoy
earthing that I can control, the training, the videos, the
now now preparing for October twenty five, February. I think
time is precious as times to show to be in
some sort of mood. You just gotta. I have my
family with me here in either and I'm just I'm happy,
you know, based on both worlds. I got my team here,
I got my family up the road five six minutes
up the right. I can see them every day. I'm
just life is very good and very very beautiful.
Speaker 1: That's great because sometimes guys they go and they lock
themselves away and they're not with their family, their wife,
their kids and other people and there and.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I've done that. Yeah, And I feel that
this approach is a lot better and a lot more
because I'm not worried about them back in New Zealand.
I can see them every day and i can see
them grow, you know. And when you're missing out eight
weeks with ten weeks at a time, it's just too long.
Speaker 1: I just feel like you are not that you're the
only one, but you got a real maturity about you
in terms of the way you handle things like you
should be as a grown as a grown man. You
should be able to handle your job, which is the train,
and be ready for your fights as well as see
your family. Just because you see your family, you shouldn't
make you not as focused or I do know, like this.
Speaker 2: In the the she locked themselves away, flight to different
countries and and be and and and for some fighters
it does work for them. But I've I've done I've
done both, and I feel like being close to the family,
have them close to me, it's way beautiful me and
my mind and uh and it's just the time is
too short. Let's just enjoy every day together.
Speaker 1: So you are on an excellent run. You've been pretty
active relatively speaking. You've won six fights in a row,
your last three against you know, quality top names and Macauli.
We just talked about, uh, the decision victories against Jang
and also against Deontay Wilder, and that's in your last
three fights. I'm not sure there's a heavyweight on a
better run in terms of their last three bouts than that.
Are you the most deserving heavyweight in the world of
a shot at Alexander Usik?
Speaker 2: For me, yes, I I feel and I believe that
I deserve the shot Alexander Yusik. And but then listen again,
there's also other people who feel like they deserve it
and others who think someone else deserves. Another person would
be cow Boy Out who's put on good performances as well,
so he's another fighter who deserves big fights. But I
do feel that with the fights that I've had and
I can only fight who's in front of me, I
believe that I should be given an opportunity to face
someone like Alexander Yusick, who is like a great in
this generation as a fighter.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, I'm not saying that that you're the
only one that deserves a shot and I agree with
you about kaby Yo. I just think that Joe Parker
deserves it more than anybody else right now, given what
you've given to the sport. You've been a pass champion,
you are on a great run, you entertain the fans.
Speaker 2: Yeah, all the things that go into it. I do
believe that I should get the shot of Usik, and
this fight with Fabian Walley, you know, the outcome will
get me closer to that fighter. Fusik so Fabia. Wardly,
he's not on a pretty good run himself. He's you know,
he had a nice knockout that at the time was
sort of perceived as a fifty to fifty fight against
said Delia. That was a Saudi Arabia fight. He had
the it was a tremendous battle.
Speaker 1: It was a draw. But against Fred Clark, super entertaining
fight of the year. Came back in the rematch, drilled
him in the first round. Spectacular performance in that and
then uh some drama in his last fight, way behind
on the scorecards against Justice Hooney. I know you're awfully
familiar with coming from the same part of the world
as as both of you guys do. And he rallied
for that big one punch knockout, so he's he's done
some things. Also, he picked up an interim title as
well of the WBA. How do you feel like you
match up with him? He's got big punch, he's a
big man. Also, not as much pro experience as you
at the highest level, So how do you look at
this matchup?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I see him as a you know, another fighter
who's who's got a big right hand. And I'm not
just going to look at his last fight and think,
you know what, he was down on the cars and
you just have to avoid his right hand when you
look at it. Like you said, you named David Adelaide
fight and he named the fight of phrase of clock.
So each fight presents a different sort of task and challenge,
you know. And I think with him, he's young, he's fresh,
he's got his own goals, he's determined. He carries a
pale all the way through. So there's a different challenge
with someone like Jiang or Pacoli, Kim last Mink. Also,
while I couldn't really landed something, I just have to
be on my game and use my experience. And I've
been in the game longer than he is, So I
feel like the experience pot is gonna uh yeah, pay
pay a lot of benefits.
Speaker 1: Well, when I look at the matchup, I see I
see a Joseph Parker that is more versatile than Fabia.
Worldly he's got obviously, as you mentioned, he's got a
tremendous right hand, can knock out anybody. He's one of
all of his fights by knockout except for one of
his victories. But do you see it that way that
if you can somehow negate or avoid or just you know,
not take the full brunt of the right hand, that
that puts you in a position where you could do
a lot of things, whether it's use your jab or
out box or use your movement.
Speaker 2: I do feel like I have a lot more whippons
in my U and offer a lot more. You know,
what's the experience and all the whippons that I do have,
and combinations and knowing when too far out of time
and everything I do. If I can avoid his right
hand and land all the shots that I on and
it's all about practicing at now, Andy Lee, you know,
the combinations on the pads, on the spying partners, I
think will be too much for him. So you're headed
back for this fight.
Speaker 1: It's gonna be at the O two arena, as I mentioned,
has hosted many many big fights through the years. You've
this will be your second fight there. Your your only
other fight that took place. There was a great fight
against Delan White, but you came up short. Uh you
lost that decision. Very close fight, tremendous battle. Any any
uh hesitation about going back, not not that that arena specifically,
but just going back and fighting on Wordley's turf. You know,
you're the guy coming from the other country to fight
in his home, his hometown, but his home, his home fans.
Speaker 2: Basically this is like a venue redemption fight for me. Okay,
but then also, like you know, I'm for somebody comes
from New Zealand with five million people, come from Samoa
with you know, a few hundred thousand people, and then
the love that we've been getting in the UK and Ireland.
I do believe that even though it's Fabia Walley's hometown,
but being sort of adopted in the and the you know,
in the UK boxing scene, and I will have great
support myself. So you know, the the buzz is gonna
be great. That ad this is gonna be get I
feel like it's gonna be litric and I'm gonna feed
off the I to feed off the electric crowd that's
going to be there on the ninth. Yeah, you have
a big game in the UK, no doubt.
Speaker 1: I mean, obviously your fight with Anthony Joshua was a
huge event eighty thousand or whatever they drew there, and
you have fought there plenty of time, so I can
see that you have in some folks cheering for sure.
What I wonder though, is if all goes well for
you and you come out with the with the victory,
how how do you and your team go about pressing
the situation to get who's sick in the ring with you?
I mean, that's that's you are mandatory the WBO, I
think based on everything they have said that for them anyway,
he's either gonna fight you or he's not going to
be WBO champion anymore.
Speaker 2: Yeah, So as soon as the fight's done, the team
knows what they have to do to press for that fight.
You know, Queensberry obviously winning a fight in Queensberry day,
I think it Spencer Brown Day know what they need
to do to make this happen. Otherwise you still has
to give up the belt. So I think there's a
there's a lot more, you know, just fight, get this
fight done, and it's a lot more. I would say.
Speaker 1: Stricter for for for usage and when we get another
video of you doing the call out if.
Speaker 2: You win, yeah, the video is video is never gonna stop.
They're fun to do and to look back on it,
it's a good laugh too. There's a lot of bloopers
which we will call me play play.
Speaker 1: One day and that would be a lot of fun,
all right, Well bloopers aside. You've got to get ready
for the fight before you can think it for six
So I wish you nothing but the best against Fabio
Wordley once again. O Cober twenty fifth on his own
pat review at the O two Arena in London. Joseph,
it's always a pleasure.
Speaker 2: To talk to you. I really appreciate it. Good luck,
pleasure brother, thank you. Good to see the