Parker on Hughie injury: “It might be an excuse, it might be legit”

Joseph Parker says he still wants to fight on May 6 and, his promotion team, Duco Events is actively looking for an opponent ranked in the WBO top 15 who can fill the void at short notice, in a voluntary defence. 

How do you keep focused?

You do what you have to do, which is train hard and prepare well.  You have a great team around you and you want to defend the belt and keep it so that’s what keeps you focused and whatever comes you just have to adapt.  Does it affect me mentally?  Not at all.  We prepare for whatever situations come our way.

Kevin Barry – Joseph Parker’s trainer: “I hope the injury is not too serious and I wish Hughie a speedy recovery.  I will say it didn’t come as a total surprise to us.  Just the way the whole Fury team have been conducting themselves in the last three months, it didn’t at all surprise us for them to pull out at this last minute.”

Joseph Parker: “I guess the way I see it, it is probably an excuse.  It might be an excuse, it might be legit, I think we just have to adapt and prepare for what is coming our way.

“Of course I am going to fight May 6th.  May 6th I’ve been preparing for this day so whoever they bring, I will prepared for it.  I want an opponent which is going to put up a good fight.  An opponent that’s going to make everyone think it’s a 50/50 fight.

Kevin Barry: “We were originally supposed to fight on April 1 only for the Fury camp not to sign the contract on time, so now pushed out to May 6.  This has been a long training camp for us and Joe is very well prepared, really wants to fight, when you look at the last three years, he’s fought five times a year.  This will be in 2017, this is five months since Joe has had a fight, so he really wants to get in the ring and wants to fight.

Joseph Parker: “I expect to know today the new opponent and everything will go ahead.  We’re just locking in things at the moment.”