The voice of Boxing Colonel Bob Sheridan gives the nod to Joseph Parker to win by KO against Andy Ruiz Jr. in their WBO Heavyweight Title fight in Auckland this weekend. 

He is excited by the heavyweight match up and the history making nature of the fight.

"This is a big moment for Boxing. This is perhaps one of the best heavyweight boxing matches we have seen for 10yrs or more. There’s nothing bigger in sport than a heavy weight championship of the world."

The Colonel points to Ruiz's speed as his greatest asset. He brings fast hands and fast feet and he is very tough. Ruiz does not know defeat.  
 
But Joseph he says is a bigger guy all round, also with fast hands and a very heavy punch.

He thinks Kevin Barry will want his charge to put Ruiz at the end of the jab very early on and make sure Joseph hurts Ruiz in the first round.
 
Asked for his call on the fight, "My call for the fight is Joseph will knock him out between the 5th and 8th round."

He has been right every time this year on the outcome of Parker's fights. 

END

Shannon O'Connell of Australia is super cut and ready to get ugly with Laura Griffa of Argentina. She is out to give the 30yr old Argentinian her first loss in the ring. 

Griffa has the better record 13 wins and zero loss. 

O'Connell on the other hand has a lot more boxing experience. She has fought 19 times, recording 4 losses and a draw to go with fourteen victories (14-4-1).

Half of O'Connell's victories (7/14) are by KO. Clearly she has the firepower to push upset the Argentinian. Griffa has had one win by KO.

O'Connell has the physical advantage with height (165cm) but a shorter reach (159cm) than Griffa (168cm). Griffa's height is  163cm.

This is a great match up that should be entertaining and great viewing. 

Meet the man who will officiate the WBO Title bout between Joseph Parker and Andy Ruiz Jr. 

Tony Weeks found out four weeks ago that he will be traveling to Auckland city to referee the fight.

"Anytime you get called up to officiate in a Title fight, it is a great honour."

This is Weeks' first visit to NZ. "It's a very beautiful country, and very friendly people. All the people here are nice." 

As for the fight, Weeks is looking forward to a great fight. 

"It is going to be a great fight. There is a lot at stake. The winner of this will have the WBO portion of the heavyweight championship and will have the opportunity to be in that pool to unify the division." 

He has plenty of refereeing experience. The Parker/Ruiz bout is his 22nd fight this year alone. A year that has seen him take control of fights involving some of the greats of the sport, including the Manny Pacquiao (v. Timothy Bradley Jr) fight in April. 

His last refereeing appointment in 2015 was a memorable one too. He was in charge of the Tyson Fury v Vladimir Klitschko fight in Dusseldorf, Germany (Nov, 2015) that Fury won. 

That was a memorable fight because it brought about a change of the guard, and injected a new energy into the division. 

With all that experience, he knows exactly who will win on Saturday at Vector Arena. When asked who will win the fight, a question he has been asked a thousand times around the world, his answer was ready and honed, "The one who I raise the hand in the ring." 

"As referees, we don't make predictions on fights we officiate in," Weeks said with a beaming smile. 

END

There will be a lot of friendly fire in the ring on Saturday night at Vector Arena. So much so the victor of the WBO Heavyweight Title bout between Joseph Parker and Andy Ruiz Jr will no doubt say a prayer over the fallen at the end of the bout. 

Both men are supremely religious and committed Christians. Ruiz Jr is the more vocal about his faith.

"I believe in God, and I fight for God. When I win I will give God all the glory for what he has done for me," he said. 

Parker himself is from a deeply Christian family. Parker's mother Sala Parker told me that there is a lot of praying going on in the Parker household. Not only for her son, but for Ruiz also. 

"We are praying for a good fight for my son, and also for Andy. They are both sons." 

All this love and respect was evident at the Weigh In at the Britomart Country Club on Friday morning. At the end of the Stand-off between the fighters, Joseph and Ruiz then shook hands, and embraced each other. 

Ruiz's promoter Bob Arum spoke of the place of respect in Boxing, “It’s my experience in boxing that when the fighters respect each other and they handle each other politely at the Press Conferences and other events prior to the fight. Then all the aggressiveness goes to where it belongs in the ring, and you get a tremendous fight.”
​
“When there’s a lot of trash talking outside of the ring, when they get to the ring, it is not much of a fight.” 

All this respect will be tossed aside according to Ruiz when the bell goes. That is when the switch is turned on to get nasty and go to war. 

According to coaches Abel Sanchez (Ruiz) and Kevin Barry (Parker) it will be a battle of attrition in the ring. 

"There will be a lot of punches thrown and both guys will take a lot of punishment," said Barry. 

It is going to be a torrid affair. It is a shame one of these good men will end up the loser on the night. 

Whoever will taste defeat for the first time, he can count on a lot of respect and even prayers, from the victor.

END

Joseph Parker vs Alexander Dimitrenko 

Words / Pic
Seti Afoa
 
Laauli Joseph Parker’s fight night music is all sorted for his big Title fight. He will be slow walking into the ring at Vector Arena in Auckland, led by his two uncles in traditional chiefly Samoan attire.

Joseph will be walking and air-jabbing himself behind them flanked by the full force of Team Parker closed-ranked like a Roman phalanx, aside and astern – all to the sounds of Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight.”

It is a sombre piece of music that talks about some dark issues in Collins’ life. Specifically, the divorce experience from his then wife and the anger Collins felt about the experience.

Really, Collins has no recollection of what motivated him to write the song. He is quoted saying about the song, “This is one song out of all the songs that I've ever written that I really don't know what it's about.” As a vague memory, Collins can recall going through the divorce from his wife at the time of writing the song.

It ain’t matter though for Parker on the night. He needs to get angry, and early. He promises he will.

Ring music, as the entrance songs are known, is an important and crucial ingredient of a fighter’s preparation.

For a confident champion like Floyd Mayweather, No Worries by Lil Wayne sums up his approach to his fights. For a small guy like Manny Pacciao, Roar by Katy Perry is very appropriate. Riddick Bowe also likes "In the Air Tonigh", he used it a lot.

It is no different for Joseph Parker and Ruiz Jr. 

Ruiz will bring his own songs to help him along in his own River of Babylon experience, so far from home and longing for support. He will need it. The songs of Mexico will help will him on his 30th fight.

It is the biggest fight of his career to date. And the music will be carefully selected to energise the mood for him to win, against whatever odds NZ TAB has set up on his chances against Parker.

Those odds are actually at $3.30 for Ruiz, and $1.30 for Joseph Parker.

Parker himself is a music connoisseur. In recent fights he has used Roy Jones Jnr’s Rap, “Can’t be touched”. I hear from a good source that it was specifically recorded for Parker.

He has used that song several times, including his entrance into Koenig Pilsener Arena in Germany for his eighth win (TKO) over Brazilian Marcelo Luiz Mascrimento.

His choice of “In the Air Tonight” is very specific for his 22nd bout, the most important. And specific for the grinning Ruiz Jr.
The song reverberates, around the repeat of key words – Can you feel it in the air tonight?, I can feel it in the air tonight, and I’ve been waiting for this moment all of my life, oh Lord.

There is also a very dark line, “If you told me you were drowning, I wouldn’t lend a hand”, followed by “So you can wipe off that grin, I know where you’ve been.”

This is the message for Joseph, and he needs to heed it well and into heart – Sin piedad - No mercy! in Spanish.
The magic of this song is I can already hear it in the big sound stadium of Vector Arena. The song is carried by the drum sound that is particularly amazing. It is subtly introduced into the song. It comes on after midway in to add to the doo-dom doo-dom early on.  

It is an eighties classic, a whole decade ahead of Parkers entrance into his own world in South Auckland. His life has brought him to this moment.

The other important music on the night are the Anthems. There will be three anthems, Samoan and New Zealand’s anthems for Laauli Lupesoliai-a-le-Malietoa Joseph Parker. The Mexican anthem will be sung for Andy Ruiz Jr first.

Here are your anthem singers
Fu’a o le Sa’olotoga, The Banner of Freedom, Pene Pati  
God Defend New Zealand, Ihowa Atua Manaakitia Aotearoa, Sophie Morris.
Himno Nacional Mexicano, Mexicans at the Cry of War, Taye Williams. 
 
Ed’s note. Afoa is the only Pacific Island and Samoan reporter to have covered all of Joseph Parkers five fights in 2016.
 
END

Words / Pic 
Seti Afoa
 
Andy Ruiz did Joseph Parker a huge favour. In their first meeting in the ring three years ago, sparring in Las Vegas, Ruiz smacked Parker good in the mouth.

Parker was cut and could not eat for three days.

Kevin Barry and Parker were visiting a gym that day when Parker saw Ruiz in the ring. He was attracted by the size of Ruiz, he was overweight.

Surely he could take him on in a few sparring rounds. Barry cautioned against it, but Parker would not have a bar of it.
In he stepped in the ring thinking he would do it easy, but such was the speed of Ruiz’s hands and his awkward style that the Mexican ran rings around Parker. 

Ruiz completely bamboozled our man with his fast hands and stroppy style. Parker was all at sea, looking for a paddle in those three rounds.

He got cut and cut good. He has never forgotten that moment.

Joseph Parker promises to get Ruiz back for that, on Saturday night.

That meeting alone will form the foundation of Parker’s approach to the WBO Title fight at Vector Arena on Saturday evening. He has had a taste of Ruiz. He is now well prepared for the wiles of “The Destroyer” from Mexico.

In Parker’s mind, he has already lost to the Mexican and it is time to get even. He will make good on Saturday. This is a Rematch.

Parker’s arsenal is that much better now. Then in 2013, he had just turned professional and had only four wins to his name against Dean Garmonsway, Terry Tuteru, Richard Tutaki and Dontay Pati. Fighters we have not heard of before, or since.

In the same year Parker would go on to fight a named heavyweight in Frans Botha who once won the IBF belt (Axel Schulz). This was the test for Parker whether he can step it up.

He did. Parker beat Botha to a pulp to win by TKO in the second round.
 
Although well past his best, the South African had experience on his side. He holds the next best winning streak to Mike Tyson, only experiencing his first heavyweight defeat in his 37th fight (Michael Moorer). 

Parker was on his way.

The only other person to draw blood from Joseph Parker since Ruiz is Parker himself.

After fighting the 44 year old Botha, he lined up against fellow Samoan Afa Tatupu at Trusts Arena in Auckland. That fight would define Joseph Parker as a heavyweight fighter, and also Kevin Barry as an astute trainer and leader.

In the first round Parker sustained a massive cut above his left eye from a head clash with Tatupu. That cut has left a permanent mark above the eye. Parker would later describe the cut as “someone smiling back at me”. It was that big.

There was blood everywhere and the match doctor was going to stop the fight. Kevin Barry would not have a bar of it. He pleaded with the referee for one more round.

While treating his fighter in the corner, at the same time, he kept calling for one more round. Just give us one more round.

That wish was granted. 

Barry’s instruction was clear. There was only one instruction and a very clear one at that - You have to win this fight in this round. You only have one round to beat this guy. Tatupu would otherwise focus on the left eye if it went on any longer.

The eye was quickly gelled over. Joseph was back in the ring for round 2, and the last round of that fight. He pummelled Tatupu to a TKO victory for his seventh straight victory.

The man Parker has become was coming into focus.

As well as overcoming adversity in that fight, Parker’s best lesson came from the Carlos Takam fight back in May of this year.

In that fight, Parker was very poor according to Kevin Barry. His defence was nowhere and he was visibly blowing hard in the early rounds. Parker himself would later refer to that fight as his worst performance to date.

There are good reasons and explanation for his lacklustre performance on the night, over training and a too long 12-week training camp that caused Parker to shut down ahead of the fight. 

With all that, there was still enough of the fighter in Parker to put away a very experienced Carlos Takam. A fighter other heavyweight fighters like Anthony Joshua and Ruiz himself have avoided in their respective journeys to title fights this weekend (Anthony Joshua is fighting American Eric Molina on the same day in Manchester, United Kingdom for the IBF belt).

Joseph Parker and Kevin Barry have come full circle from that meeting with Ruiz three years ago. Parker is wiser and he is a more complete fighter now. More importantly he knows what it is like to be cut by an Andy Ruiz power punch.

Kevin Barry has done all he knows to prepare his man for it.

Parker is ready for Ruiz. As Parker has said - This is my moment. The Fighter has arrived for such a time as this. He is ready to be crowned WBO Heavyweight champion of the World.
 
 
END
​

  Words & Pic
Seti Afoa
 
 There is one thing Laauli Joseph Parker has over his opponent on Saturday night. His coach. Trainer Kevin Barry has been with Parker since the fight with Afa Tatupu in October, 2013.  In comparison, Andy Ruiz Jr has been with his coach Abel Sanchez for only six weeks. It is a huge difference when talking title bouts.

The approach of the two men to their charges could not be more vastly different. Barry has been hands on with Parker, while Sanchez has been hands off with Ruiz. He has only just arrived in New Zealand three days out from the fight.

Andy Ruiz himself only arrived in the country three days ago. It is not ideal for a title fight where a fighter crosses hemispheres to fight, to arrive within a week of the fight. Let alone have a coach that arrives separately to his fighter and only days out from the big fight.

When questioned about Andy Ruiz as to what new skills Ruiz has received from him in preparation for the fight, Sanchez pointed to his head, indicating mental toughness as the most crucial skill Ruiz has picked up from him since taking charge six weeks ago.

“Andy has the mental capacity now to win the fight on Saturday night.”

I then asked him whether he will be spending some time in the ring with Ruiz in the lead up to the fight. The answer was a shake of the head.

“Andy is ready to fight now. If he is not ready to fight now he will never be ready.”

Sanchez admits that that the last time he worked one on one with Ruiz was two weeks ago.

“Our heavy work was a week before I left (for Moscow). The last week of sparring he (Ruiz) did 8 x 4 minute rounds three times that week.”

Ruiz has been in a cool down period for two weeks now according to Sanchez. He believes Ruiz has done enough to take the belt back home to Mexico.

“It doesn’t matter what anyone says, if the fighter believes it then that is how it will go.”

When Andy Ruiz was approached six weeks ago by Duco Events to fight Parker for the WBO belt, it was Ruiz who went looking for a coach. He looked to the very successful and popular Sanchez to guide him to the WBO title. Sanchez is a class coach, he has trained seventeen world champions. 

The problem is, or is it a problem, Sanchez has many other fighters in his charge. The reason he was late arriving in New Zealand is he was in Russia over the weekend where one of his fighters had a title fight. It was a win. 

He then flew back to Los Angeles, drive to his home four hours away and back again to the airport, before flying to be with Andy Ruiz in New Zealand.

It remains to be seen what impact this loose type of arrangement will have on Ruiz’s chances in the ring.

Ruiz and his entourage that include both his parents and a trainer arrived with a fanfare enough on Sunday morning. But the fanfare was provided here by Duco Events with the Maori Punaka and Powhiri welcome at Auckland Airport.

With all intents and purposes, Ruiz seemed like a boxing orphan strolling into Auckland City for a less than an important fight.
That is hardly ideal preparation for someone like Ruiz who would be looking to his mentor and coach for every bit of advantage in the lead up to Saturday night.

What Ruiz has in Abel Sanchez is more of an Advisor role at best and perhaps a coach second. You cannot coach someone into a champion in a matter of six weeks. Or can he? 

Kevin Barry on the other hand has one brief from Duco Events: to make Joseph Parker a World Champion. That has been his sole focus since 2013.  

Barry still had ring sessions scheduled for Parker in on fight week. They are not heavy sessions, but sessions nevertheless to hone and fine tune the fighter for the prize.

Joseph Parker is not just a fighter to Kevin and his wife Tania. He is their son. He lives at the family home in Las Vegas and is regarded as one of the children.

The Barry’s investment in the success of Joseph Parker could not be more different to Sanchez’s investment in Andy Ruiz. That is not Sanchez’s fault by the way. He only answered a mayday call from Ruiz and his family six weeks ago. He can only work with what he is given.

However good he is as a coach and trainer, there is only so much that can be done in that short time. What Sanchez has done is work with what Ruiz took with him to the training camp at Big Bear Mountain in California. He has transformed Andy Ruiz into a fighting specimen. That he has done, Ruiz has shed 30lbs (13kgs) in six weeks for the big fight. 

There is mutual ground between the two coaches. Sanchez and Barry both think the fight will go the full twelve rounds.
“The first one to enforce his will, will dictate how it (fight) will pan out,” Sanchez adds.

“The game plan will come after that. The game plan will only work if you have control of the fight and the other guy’s mind.”

According to the two coaches, the fight will be a super tough fight and it is too hard to call.

Kevin Barry, “It will go twelve rounds. Both fighters will take a lot of punishment from each other.”

Abel Sanchez, “I’m going to work my butt off the full twelve rounds to get my guy across the line.”

One thing Sanchez concedes is Parker and Kevin Barry have had a better round of oppositions compared to Ruiz. 

“I tell you the truth, I think Joseph has fought the more highly rated fighters than Andy.” 
​
“Takam gave Joseph a scare which I think was better for him. But these guys are built the same way, they’re about the same size. They both have extremely fast hands, they both punch hard with both hands. I think that evens it up a lot. The guy that enforces his will and lands the first meaningful shot I think will win the fight.”
 
 
END

​Seti Afoa
Words & Pic
 
Andy “The Destroyer” Ruiz Jr is looking sharp. The Mexican lost 301bs (13kgs) in six weeks so he can face Samoa’s Laauli Joseph Parker in the WBO heavyweight belt Title fight at Vector Arena in Auckland.

When asked about the massive weight loss, and whether it will disadvantage him, he was quick to say that it is Parker that is being disadvantaged. For the very reason that he will be able to move faster on his feet. So he will have quicker feet, and even faster hands on the night.

Ruiz’s fight name “The Destroyer” speaks for itself. As well as destroying his opponents in the ring, Ruiz told us on his arrival, that he will die in the ring to win the WBO heavyweight belt for Mexico.

There is more, Ruiz has God on his side. He told me yesterday that with God all things are possible.

“I believe in God and I fight for God!” he said emphatically.

“I have been a Christian since a little kid and God willing I will win this fight for Mexico.”

“When I win, I am going to give God all the glory. With God all things are possible.”

Ruiz’s legendary promoter, Bob Arum is in no doubt who will win the fight – it will be Andy Ruiz because he is faster, quicker and dangerous.

The rhetoric does not end there, even Parker’s own trainer Kevin Barry gives Ruiz the nod for the fight because of his fast hands.

Parker himself is very much aware of Ruiz’s “perceptively quick hands” and how that will be a weapon for Ruiz in the fight. Ruiz is such a threat that Parker is refusing to say who will win their fight on Saturday night. Parker’s best offering is, the fight will go the full twelve rounds.

Aside from the rhetoric, the numbers also have it for a Ruiz win at Vector Arena. Arum and Barry are very much aware of the figures for Ruiz.

The evidence of Ruiz’s effectiveness is in his record, 29 wins from twenty-nine fights. He is not ready to lose but to beat Parker down to a pulp to win the fight.

Ruiz ended two-thirds of his 29 wins by knockout (21, 66%). That is to be expected of a fighter like Ruiz.
The key figure for Ruiz in the context of this weekend’s Title fight is the amount of his fights that went the full rounds. A total of eight out of 29.

It means that as well as having the arsenal to knock down opponents, Ruiz is able to go the full distance. What is more, he has 100% won the fights that have gone the distance.

Joseph Parker has only had two fights go the distance, Sherwyn Williams two years ago, and Carlos Takam in May this year. Parker won both fights by unanimous decisions.

In terms of who has the experience in the ring, it is undoubtedly Andy Ruiz Jr. He has faced 20 more rounds in the ring (116) to Parker’s 87 rounds.
​
But Parker has the strike power. His knock out percentage sits at 87 p.c. (19/21) compared to Ruiz’s 66 p.c. (21/29).

Joseph Parker is in no doubt as to the danger indicator level for the fight against Ruiz. That has gone up several notches since Carlos Takam in May. He is very aware of the impressive armoury and the total package his opponent is bringing to the ring.

He will have to be sharper, more focused, and faster than his opponent to win.
​
Andy “The Destroyer” Ruiz Jr will die in the ring to make sure Parker does nothing of the sort. He is not leaving New Zealand without the WBO belt.
 
END

Words & Pic, Seti Afoa
 
The rise and rise of Joseph Parker is a brilliant winning story. One day it will end. After all, his trainer Kevin Barry has said Andy Ruiz Jr is favoured to win against his charge in their WBO Title fight in Auckland this weekend. While I believe Parker will knock out Andy Ruiz Jr at Vector Arena, one day his story will take a wane. I hope and pray that time is a long way off and not in Auckland in two days’ time. We have to be prepared for when that time comes.

Right now, Parker is the media star in New Zealand. Every news agency is after his story, the stories about his story and stories around Joseph’s journey to this point.

He is a media favourite for his accessibility and charm. He is conversant and intelligent. Above all, he has that manly sex appeal that all men young and old wish we possessed – good looks, height, a great sense of humour, and a well-toned muscular frame to go with being a nice guy.

His life this year has been a media circus. He has had more media conferences and one on one interviews in his native New Zealand, than most National Cabinet Ministers will have in the current parliamentary term.

Media eyes and lenses, long and multiple zoom ones, are acutely focused on his every move. He is the news. He is the centre of attention everywhere he goes. People call his name, get him to sign autographs. He cannot go anywhere without being recognised and admired. The attention is unbelievable and unprecedented in his short life.

It has all ramped up particularly this week. There are few more media around too than in his recent fights in New Zealand.

At the Open Training session at The Wreck Room last week, the cameras were there in numbers. Where Joseph moved the cameras followed. He did a few floor stretches, the cameras were on the floor with him. He stood up to take a drink from the water cooler, and like a line of fast moving ants we were snapping him filling of the cup, the raising of it to his mouth and Joseph gulping  down the cool refreshing liquid. All captured on film to be broadcast in several forms.

He has lived with this type of attention for the last ten years. Joseph knows no other way of engaging with the media other than being the centre of his winning story.

The problem with all this attention is it can create a false sense of reality for Joseph. It will not be there forever. When it goes away, it will be in a hurry and it will take effect immediately.

When the indomitable Mike Tyson was duly dominated and knocked down by the unlikely James Buster Douglas in Tokyo for his first heavyweight defeat, Tyson was not only robbed of the Heavyweight Title of the World, he was also robbed of all the media glare that was his daily bread since being a champion.  

The glare of the media in the weeks that followed was entirely on the new champion. Tyson was forgotten, written off and dismissed by many. He was finished, washed up and done. The darling of the media was resigned to the canvas. He went from being sought after to being forgotten. Tyson found that hard to take.

All Boxers lose, no one wins forever. When that happens for Joseph, whether it is against Ruiz Jr or someone else, it will be a different story. Both Joseph and his fans need a strategy to deal with that possibility.

The other problem for Parker is non-believers. There are many, and lots of people who both quietly and openly scoff at his success to date. Many do not believe he will do the business against Ruiz. Even if he wins, it is not a real belt in their view anyway. There are a lot of Doubters and Scoffers.

A bit like a house of Sadducees and Pharisees. It will surprise them no end should Parker lose to Ruiz at Vector Arena. In a way, they wish for a Parker defeat to confirm their own unbelief. Those people will instantly sing out in a Flash mob chorus of “I told you so, Hallelujah!” the moment defeat for Parker is confirmed. The choirmaster will be none other than Sir Bob Jones, Parker’s biggest doubter and former mentor, and also Boxing’s self-appointed Prophet of Doom.

The reason they will be unanimous in their chorus of chaos is because they doubt Parker’s ability to be the real heavyweight champion of the world, nor do they believe in the validity of the WBO Belt he is fighting for.

The same people will still be scoffing and doubting, should by God’s mercy and grace, Parker wins all four belts by next year’s end. They will explain it away.

And should Parker lose, it will not be the end of the journey. It will only be the beginning, a detour rather than an end.

It is the glare of the cameras that will be the most telling thing for Parker, should he lose. At the end of every one of his 21 fights to date, he was mobbed by the media as the Victor on the night.

He is yet to face the same media throng as the loser. He is yet to face his beloved fans as the also ran. That will be a new and unnerving experience for him. But it will happen.  

Then the week following a defeat, Parker will experience what is known as Media Attention Deficiency. Once sought by the Media, and now forgotten. He may well ask himself: Where has the media gone? In that situation, he may also feel betrayed.

It is turns like this that crush people. Particularly if they live by the quasi reality that Joseph has known only from the winning corner.

For his true fans and supporters, we may find ourselves defending our champion, if not verbally, then at least internally to ourselves and to any of the Scoffers whom we may be unfortunate enough to meet post a Parker defeat. After all, true believers defend what they hold true and dear, to the end.

And I believe, Lupesoliai Laauli-a-le-malietoa Joseph Parker will do the business on Saturday night.
 

END

At the end of the WBO Title Fight at Vector Arena on Saturday night, one of the heavyweight contenders will taste defeat for the very first time as a pro-Boxer. Laauli Joseph Parker or Andy Ruiz Jr will know what defeat is on Saturday evening. The winner will go on undefeated, for a little longer yet.

Everyone gets beaten in the ring. That is as true as the rising of the sun in the morning.

In the modern history of Boxing, there has not been an undefeated heavyweight boxer. Everyone gets beaten sometime. Some great champions of recent times knew defeat long before becoming heavy weight champion of the world.

An example is James Buster Douglas, that great specimen of a boxer, who knocked down, and out the great Mike Tyson in Tokyo (1990).

Before he went to Tokyo to fight the undefeated and heavily favourred Mike Tyson (37-0), Douglas already had three losses to his name.

The first of his four losses was sustained inside his first ten fights (5th, David Bey), then came three close losses in the 21st (Mike White), 25th (Jesse Ferguson) and 29th fights (Tony Tucker).

Douglas rebuilt his career with seven straight wins after that to then face the indomitable Mike Tyson in Tokyo.  

Tyson was the undefeated champion of the world. Not only that, Tyson had the longest winning streak in the history of the sport. He was facing Douglas with a 37-0 record. His running streak was even better than the great Muhammad Ali whose first loss came in Ali's 32nd fight against Joe Frazier.

Only British boxer Henry Akinwande is the closest to Tyson’s winning streak with his first loss in the 34th bout against another Brit, Lennox Lewis. But Akinwande did have a draw in his 19th fight (Axel Schulz).

Aside from Tyson, and perhaps Akinwande, everyone else of the modern heavyweight era lost a fight in the mid-20s. Lennox Lewis had his first loss in his 26th fight (Oliver McCall). Vladimir Klitschko had his first loss in his 25th fight. Klitschko’s brother Vitali had his first loss in his 28th fight. Evander Hollyfield in his 29th fight (Riddick Bowe) and again in the 32nd (Michael Moorer).

The point is, Parker and Ruiz will be in good company whoever loses on Saturday. And it is not the end of the boxing world for the loser at Vector Arena. 

Although a defeat will be bitter, the loser will learn a lot from that defeat. The foundation for going forward is not in the defeat, but the victories to this point.

A boxer does not have a winning streak like Ruiz (29-0) and Parker (21-0) without knocking over other great fighters along the way.

Buster Douglas is a great example in this regard as someone who had four losses before he knocking out Mike Tyson.

Then there is Vladimir Klitschko who went on to fight 39 more fights (total 64 fights) and remained champion for ten years after his first loss. Lennox Lewis went on to dominate Heavyweight boxing in the late nineties until his retirement in 2003.

He had a rematch with McCall that he won. Lewis' list of victories is impressive –Mike Tyson, Shannon Briggs, Hasim Rahman, Henry Akinwande, Vitali Klitschko, Oliver McCall and others including a win over David Tua in his 40th fight.

He lost to Hasim Rahman in the next fight (41st) but then promptly beat Rahman in the return bout seven months later. Lewis fought twice more with wins over Mike Tyson (43rd) and Vitali Klitschko (44th) before he hung up the gloves and a champion having fought 41 fights with two losses and one draw (Holyfield).

Both fighters are talking confidently of victory on Saturday night. Andy Ruiz said in his Press Conference today that he is not leaving New Zealand without the WBO Belt and that Mexico will have its first Heavyweight Champion of the world yet. Joseph Parker says this is his time and that he will win on Saturday.

Both men are right, but one of them has to take the loss on Saturday. It will not be the end of the world for whoever tastes defeat for the first time.
 
END