Joseph Parker

Q & A: Kevin Barry

Q & A: Kevin Barry

KEVIN BARRY TALKS ABOUT TRAINING WORLD CLASS HEAVYWEIGHT JOSEPH PARKER: Kevin Barry is training rising heavyweight prospect Joseph Parker (12-0-0) at a privately owned boxing gym in the suburbs of Las Vegas. I spent the morning with Barry at this facility discussing how Parker is tracking for his next fight with Jason Pettaway, and his future plans for the young heavyweight.

Q; Explain the set-up of this training facility?

This is a privately owned gym facility that I use to train Joseph and another heavyweight Izu Ugonoh .It’s great having a facility where it’s only Joe and I. He’s also living with me and has become every bit a part of my family.

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Joseph Parker fights Jason Pettaway in March, confirmed to join Wladimir Klitschko’s camp in April

Joseph Parker fights Jason Pettaway in March, confirmed to join Wladimir Klitschko’s camp in April

Rising heavyweight contender Joseph Parker’s (12-0, 10 KO’s) next fight has been announced for March 5th at Auckland’s Vodafone Events Centre, where he will face American, Jason Pettaway (17-1, 10 KO’s.)

Pettaway has been pegged by Coach Kevin Barry as something of a mover in the ring and someone who won’t remain stationary in front of his powerful protégé. Learning to effectively cut off his opponent’s space is definitely a work-on for Parker and in Pettaway they hope to have found an adversary who will test these abilities.

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Interview: Joseph Parker Discusses His Upcoming Fight With Costa Junior

Interview: Joseph Parker Discusses His Upcoming Fight With Costa Junior

This strange life, such is the itinerant and transient schedule of the professional fighter which constitutes Joseph Parker’s life nowadays: He lives and trains in Las Vegas with Coach Kevin Barry, has fought in three different countries over the course of 2014 and now we find him on a Saturday afternoon in a deserted ballroom at Auckland’s Pullman hotel, just he and Barry hitting the mitts and making small talk along way.

Kevin and Joseph have been generous enough to invite us into camp on a couple of occasions now and each time I’ve been struck by how light and humorous the tone is. As an example Kevin mentions Kiwi golfing phenom Lydia Ko who recently collected a $1.5 million dollar payday on the women’s LPGA and Joseph’s eyes light up as he quips to Kevin that ‘maybe it isn’t too late for us to turn to golf!’

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Joseph Parker moves into WBA Heavyweight Top 10

Joseph Parker moves into WBA Heavyweight Top 10

Young up and coming heavyweight Joseph Parker has been rewarded for his busy schedule in 2014 by being moved into the WBA’s top 10 ranked heavyweights.

Parker has already fought 4 times this year with a 5th and final bout being announced to take place on December 6th in Hamilton, New Zealand against WBO 15th ranked heavyweight, Brazilian knockout artist Irineu Beato Costa Junior.

Beato Costa Junior has ended 13 of his 15 victories by KO and this fight presents an element of risk for Parker, especially when considering the limited time available that Parker and Coach Kevin Barry have had to study tape on their opponent.

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Joseph Parker vs Sherman Williams round by round

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Great crowd, the corporate seats at ringside are full with the Auckland bourgeoisie out to watch the latest edition of New Zealand’s heavyweight hopefuls in Joseph Parker.

Parker at 22 years of age and Williams twenty years his senior at 42 years of age has the youthful zeal and fitness firmly on his side.

Parker sporting a record 10 (KO 9) – 0 and Williams at 36 (19)-13-2 has his comparative trainer wheels on in terms of experience, however experience won’t be the defining factor in this fight.

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Parker defeats Williams, stays unbeaten!

Parker defeats Williams, stays unbeaten!

Trusts Arena, Auckland. On the undercard returning Polish Heavyweight Izu Ugonoh scored a 2nd round TKO against Junior Iakopo to take his record to 10-0 (8KO’s).

In front of a raucous home crowd at Trusts Arena, Joseph Parker pounded out a unanimous decision against a very durable and game Sherman Williams.

Parker came out in the first round establishing the distance with what is becoming his trademark jab, doubling it up as well as shooting it to the body, leaving Williams looking unsure of how he could find a way inside.

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In camp with Joseph Parker

In camp with Joseph Parker

Eastside Boxing gets an invite into Joseph Parker’s training camp as he prepares for his October 16th fight with Sherman ‘The Tank’ Williams.

Driving through this low key industrial estate in East Auckland there are no neon signs or flashing lights that scream out boxing gym and that is just how Coach Kevin Barry prefers it. Like a mirage in the desert, housed out the back of contracting company is a small purpose-built boxing gym built by the company’s owner and personal friend of Barry.

It is a place free of distractions and allows Team Parker to get down to the business of work uninterrupted. However if anyone were to walk through the doors the exertion being put in is obvious. You can see it as the young fighters are put through their paces watched intently by their trainer. You can hear it with every thud of the heavy bag or crack of the mitts and you can definitely sense it as the air vibrates around them.

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Interview: Explosive Joseph Parker meets a Tank

Interview: Explosive Joseph Parker meets a Tank

At just 22 Kiwi Joseph Parker is one of the most exciting heavyweight prospects to come along in some time. Now living and training out of Las Vegas with Kevin Barry, Parker is set to face the very durable Sherman ‘The Tank’ Williams at the Trusts Arena in Auckland New Zealand on October the 16th in what will only be his 11th pro fight. We caught up with Joseph to get his thoughts amongst other things on the fight, how he first got into the sport and the fighters he grew up most admiring.

ESB: Hi Joseph, thanks for making time for us today. What was it that first made you lace up the gloves? Was it your dad that got you in to the sport? How old were you when you started fighting in the amateur ranks and did you have immediate success?

JP: Yeah my dad had an interest in boxing so I came up quite young, probably around the age of about 4 or 5. Then I had my first fight when I was 12 years old. It went well, I got the win and I sort of carried on from there. I did a lot of travelling and represented New Zealand from about 16 onwards.

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Coach Kevin Barry discusses the prospects of his exciting young protégé Joseph Parker

Coach Kevin Barry discusses the prospects of his exciting young protégé Joseph Parker

Kevin Barry, a name most familiar to boxing fans as the former long time manager and trainer of David Tua, took time out of his busy schedule to have a chat with us about another exciting heavyweight to come out of New Zealand in Joseph Parker.

Parker will be facing the very durable (and former Wladimir Klitschko sparring partner) Sherman ‘The Tank’ Williams at the Trusts Arena in Auckland New Zealand on October the 16th in what will only be his 11th pro fight.

Check out what Kevin’s thoughts are on the potential of Parker, possible future opponents for him and the trainer that most influenced him during his coaching career.

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Joseph Parker: Going back to the future

Joseph Parker: Going back to the future

New Zealand, made up of two small islands, the shaky isles as it is sometimes referred to, isolated and diminutive in population, can be both a forward thinking yet deeply conservative country. Paradoxically everyone loves a winner in New Zealand so long as the winner in question remains both humble and unassuming.

When placing its winning bid to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup, a foundation of the countries’ successful tender was a pledge that the tournament would be played in ‘a stadium of 4 million’ and so it proved to be. The comparatively small size of New Zealand, where almost everyone knows someone, means that when their sports stars excel they often do so carrying the weight of a nation on their shoulders.

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