Joseph Parker stood at a crossroads following his fight with Junior Fa in February, and it led him to Tyson Fury and ultimately embracing the famed Kronk mentality.
Fury brought in Andy Lee along with fellow Kronk disciple SugarHill Steward for his February 2020 rematch with Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas. The results were stunning as ‘The Gypsy King’ destroyed ‘The Bronze Bomber’ in seven one-sided rounds.
So when Parker (28-2) decided to part ways with long-time trainer Kevin Barry after an unimpressive points win over Fa, he called up Fury for advice. The answer was loud and clear – hire Lee.
Joseph, now 29, is already in camp with the Irishman as he prepares to meet seasoned warhorse Dereck Chisora (32-10) in a PPV showdown on Sky Sports Box Office on May 1. And he’s loving the change in methods as he looks ahead to a stern examination from ‘Del Boy’.
Kronk mentality
“A little bit of Kronk would help change things up,” Parker told Sky Sports.
#ChampCamp with these two legends ???????????????? @AndyLeeBoxing @Tyson_Fury pic.twitter.com/f1NE198P5u
— Joseph Parker (@joeboxerparker) March 29, 2021
“It’s exactly what I need for Chisora. It’s probably what I needed for Dillian Whyte (L UD in 2018), to not be bullied and chased and thrown around the ring. I didn’t prepare that way for the Whyte fight. But I should for this fight.
“I was with Kevin for eight years so became used to his way of doing things but Andy has shown me a few other things. We clicked from the beginning.
Time for change
“I was so used to the training we had, flying to Vegas, the same routine. I’m not getting younger. I want to achieve in boxing. Kevin and I decided it was a time to try something else.”
Parker’s ultimate aim is obviously another world-title shot. The former WBO king lost his crown to Anthony Joshua back in 2018, the first of his two back-to-back pro losses. He is still ranked #3 by the same sanctioning body.
