Joseph Parker has teased heavyweight rival Joe Joyce by warning the Briton some of the crowd at Manchester’s AO Arena will be supporting him.
The duo go head-to-head in an eagerly-awaited clash on Saturday where the winner will move a step closer to a world title shot in 2023.
While London-born Joyce is the home fighter, the majority of his bouts have occurred in the capital and this will be his first time at the Manchester venue.
New Zealander Parker on the other hand will be eyeing a fourth consecutive victory at the arena and having spent most of the last 18 months living in Morecambe, he feels a strong Lancashire following – including “brother” Tyson Fury – will be there to back him this weekend.
“That is my arena. Three wins, Hughie (Fury), Derek (Chisora) and Derek again, so I’m going to make it four,” Parker (30-2, 21KOs) told the PA news agency.