Joseph Parker
It's business inside the ring, but outside it, it's friendship and brotherhood. I try to do that with all my opponents.Collection: Friendship
If I train hard and have a great training camp, and I'm as prepared as I can be, I can take any heavyweight in the world.
My dad loves boxing, so he used to hold up his hands when we were little kids, and we would punch his hands, and he slowly got us little gloves, and little punching bags that he'd always hold for us.
I didn't make the Olympics, but I beat a lot of the guys that went to the Olympics, so I felt I was at that level even though I didn't make it.
It feels good that people believe in my ability, but you've just got to stay focused, keep your feet on the ground, and do the job and do the hard work in the gym.
If you have goals or aims in life, write them down. If you look at your goals every day, then it will encourage you to try your best in all you do, be focused, and stay determined.
Know that the power comes from within: when you are tired, or you want to give up, dig deep. Dig deep for whatever reason - in boxing, in sport, in life.
There are good life skills to be had in the sport. It is a big positive to see young kids coming to the gym, training hard, looking up to the likes of David Tua, Shane Cameron, and possibly myself.
I feel good about my first professional fight. I was ready for it, and it was a good win for me.
I was upset about not going to the Olympics. It was a dream of mine, and I'd been working at it for a long time. But I've turned pro now; it's in the past, and there's nothing I can do about it.
I remember famous people coming in to speak to me when I was in school and being inspired by them.
I first got into boxing when I was quite young. I was about 12 when I won my first boxing match.
That takes it out of you, throwing too many punches.
What I need to do is relax, take my time, and make my shots count. That will give me more energy later in the fights but also allow me to throw the punches harder.
I have to take my time, use my punches, and use the ring.
As an amateur, there are three rounds, and you have to give it all you have, throw as many punches as you can.
Every man who gets in that ring has the ability to hurt you.
All it takes is one punch, one big punch, and that could wreck everything for me.
Some people say the people I'm fighting are bums, but I don't see it like that.
I know if I train hard, focus, I can beat anyone out there.
I can outbox Anthony Joshua.
I want to fight the best Anthony Joshua there is.
My motivation is being unified heavyweight champion of the world, making New Zealand and my family proud.
I love meeting people.
I believe that every fight we've had is a big fight, and every fight we've had is a fight where I've learned a lot of things in the ring, I learn about myself, and it's sort of pushed me to know where I can go.
Charles Martin, we watched him. He won the IBF championship of the world, but we don't think he is anything special.
Having watched the Botha fight, I wanted to get him out of there, but I didn't really want to hurt him as bad.
It's a quality you need to be a world champion; you have to have that killer instinct.
My Pacific Island genes will never allow me to be the most ripped, but I think I can get pretty close to it.
I can get to a point where I get pretty chiselled.
A lot of boxers get along well. But if you have to fight each other, then leave that relationship behind.
It always excites me to meet new family members. I'd like to meet them all someday.
I know I'm always ready when I jump into the ring.
I don't ever want to be a punch drunk.
So I have, like, more than a 100 cousins all over the world now.
Music is a great part of my life. It helps me relax and keep calm whenever I am not boxing.
I feel like the guitar playing gives me rhythm with my punches - really helps to change up my jab.
You not only have to box smart, you have to be ruthless in the ring.
Boxing has taught me to be disciplined, to be respectful to those around me. I am able to travel the world, meet a lot of people, and make new friends.
It would be an honour to knock out Botha.
It's important to pursue the career that we want and the titles that we want to get, but there's family time.
With the overhand right in the past, I always got caught. My chin was up, and my shoulder wasn't where it was supposed to be, covering my chin.
Different refs judge fights differently.
What's the point in changing your team? I believe in my team.
The world should have one champion.
When I'm not boxing, I play instruments.
I play guitar, I jam on the piano, drums, and even the triangle.
My sister plays piano, and my brother used to be on the drums. My dad sings; he's got a good voice.
I've played the guitar since I was 12, I've played the piano since I was 15.
I think some fighters, when they throw a punch and throw everything they have, and it doesn't affect the other person, it might crush them a bit.