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SPORTS A23
Saturday 24 March 2018
Parker to Joshua: 'You're going to get the full Parker'
By FOSTER NIUMATA velop and calcify over the New Zealand's heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker during the training session at the Hayemaker
LONDON (AP) — Joseph elbow joints. He couldn't Gym in Vauxhall, London Friday March 23, 2018.
Parker has no problems straighten his left arm, and
and no complaints. struggled to jab. Associated Press
To Anthony Joshua, who "I know the pain Joe has
Parker will meet in a world had to go through on a dai- difference," Parker said. thinks it's going to be an stepped out of his comfort
heavyweight unification ly basis, and how he's been "That's why we're confident easy win for him. That's mo- zone and said something
title fight in Cardiff next able to achieve some of in what we can achieve." tivation for us. We've had a interesting. He's been bor-
week, he warned on Fri- the successes he's had are Those recent lackluster great camp, done every- ing lately."
day: "You're going to get just very, very mind-bog- performances have con- thing right. I just want to get About fighting for the first
the full Joseph Parker." gling," Barry said at their first tributed to Parker being in there and bash him." time in front of a crowd of
The no-excuses line by London news conference. regarded as a firm under- Thanks to the camp, Parker about 78,000, he was excit-
Parker set the tone when "When the surgeon looked dog against Joshua, who is confirmed he will weigh in ed, and hoped to see fans
he met the media for the at the initial damage that also unbeaten and putting about four kilograms (nine from New Zealand and Sa-
first time since arriving in was done to Joe's elbows, up his WBA, IBF and lightly pounds) lighter, at 108 kilo- moa.
Britain from Las Vegas, he asked how was he able regarded IBO belts. Parker grams (238 pounds), than He's thought about what
where a nine-week training to perform at a world-elite embraces it. against Fury. would happen if he
camp went so well that, he level? That speaks to the "The public are underes- Little else fazes him. knocked out Joshua.
quipped, "I'm starting to see character of (Parker). timating myself and my In reaction to Joshua re- "Lots and lots of cheers," he
some abs come along." "You will all see a huge im- team. They're judging us portedly saying this week said. "I've played out many
It was revealed this week provement on March 31 on our last two or three he regarded Parker as scenarios in my mind, that
that the unbeaten WBO compared to what you fights, and I think they see a "weird character" and one is the best one."
champion from New Zea- were looking at last year." Joshua as unbeatable," he didn't like him or his pro- Barry chipped in: "You'll
land hasn't been the full Jo- Parker agreed. said. "There's an element of moters, who he considered hear the fans all the way
seph Parker for more than "The previous five, six fights surprise (for us). Everyone two-faced, Parker said: "He from New Zealand."q
two years. Not until after I haven't showed the jab I
surgeries last Nov. 25 and had earlier in my career,
Dec. 1 to repair his elbows. so it's very important I have
His trainer, Kevin Barry, said it back," he said. "We're
he was supposed to have seeing at the gym, every
the surgeries two years day, double jab, triple jab,
ago to originally remove sometimes 10 jabs. There's
bone chips. But career- going to be a lot of jabs,
defining fight offers arrived and hopefully they land in
and they decided the pain the right place ... the nose,
was a manageable risk. the head, the chin."
There was the IBF elimina- Barry believed Parker hurt
tor in May 2016 with Carlos his elbows from develop-
Takam. Then a shot came ing his size and power. He
at the vacant WBO belt said Parker, as an amateur,
that December against had fast hands and won on
Andy Ruiz. Then came the points, not knockouts. But in
defense last September reinventing his style to suit
with Hughie Fury. the pros, the elbows were
Parker won those three damaged.
and three other fights over Now Parker and his team
the two years, enduring insist everything is OK.
criticism for some perfor- "Previous fights were not
mances, and all the while my best displays. (The op-
allowing bone spurs to de- erations) have made a big
Pantano wins stage, Valverde keeps lead in Tour of Catalonia
VIELHA, Spain (AP) — De- won by Jarlinson Pantano from Llivia to Vielha. Valverde's Movistar team- second-to-last stage will
fending champion Alejan- of Colombia on Friday. Valverde finished eighth, mate Nairo Quintana was take riders 194 kilometers
dro Valverde maintained Pantano outsprinted Veg- staying 16 seconds ahead third overall, 26 seconds (120 miles) from Vielha to
his overall lead in the Tour ard Stake Laengen of of Egan Bernal in the over- behind. Valverde is a two- Torrefarrera. The seven-
of Catalonia by staying Norway to take the 212-ki- all standings going into the time champion at the Tour stage race ends Sunday in
near the front in a stage lometer (131-mile) stage final two stages. of Catalonia. Saturday's Barcelona.q
