Picking Joseph Parker’s brains on fighting Anthony Joshua? Tyson Fury trains alongside Kiwi heavyweight as he seeks perfect preparation for showdown with British rival
- Tyson Fury has trained alongside Joseph Parker as he steps up his training
- Date and location is all that is left to agree for summer fight with Anthony Joshua
- Parker fought Joshua in 2018 and became first man to take the Brit full 12 rounds
- New Zealand heavyweight preparing for his own big fight against Derek Chisora
Tyson Fury has been training alongside fellow heavyweight Joseph Parker ahead of a seemingly inevitable £200m summer showdown with Anthony Joshua.
The date and location for the mega-fight is all that is left to be agreed, and the Gypsy King looked in fine shape as he was pictured continuing his preparation, despite recently claiming he had been drinking 12 pints a day instead of training.
Parker is better placed than most to help Team Fury ahead of the potential undisputed fight with Joshua.
Joseph Parker took to Instagram to show he has been training in the gym alongside Tyson Fury
New Zealand heavyweight fought Anthony Joshua in 2018 and lost by unanimous decision
The New Zealander fought Joshua in 2018 and while he lost his WBO belt to the Brit in the unification bout, Parker was the first man to take him the full 12 rounds in the professional ranks.
The 29-year-old will be hoping to benefit from the training himself though, having recently appointed Andy Lee as his new trainer ahead of a big fight on May 1 against Derek Chisora.
Lee was Fury’s assistant coach for his impressive stoppage win over Deontay Wilder in February 2020, and Parker revealed the British heavyweight was crucial in helping him appoint a new trainer.
‘I called Tyson and said: ‘I’m looking for a trainer’,’ Parker told Sky Sports.
Parker’s new trainer Andy Lee (left) was Fury’s assistant coach when he beat Deontay Wilder
‘He said Andy would be perfect. Five days later I was on a plane flying to Ireland. Everything happened fast.
‘It’s exactly what I need for Chisora. It’s probably what I needed for Dillian Whyte, to not be bullied and chased and thrown around the ring.’
Parker saw his career stumble somewhat after consecutive defeats to Joshua and Whyte, but has rebuilt with four relatively routine wins since.
Parker faces Derek Chisora on May 1 who is coming off a defeat to Oleksandr Usyk last year
The fight against Chisora represents his biggest challenge since those defeats in Britain, and is a significant one for Parker’s hopes to earn another world title shot.
He is currently ranked third with the WBO, behind Oleksandr Usyk and Joe Joyce who have been ordered to fight each other for the interim title.
The winner of the fight between Joshua and Fury will likely have to vacate the belt due to mandatory requirements, potentially seeing Usyk or Joyce elevated to champion.
That would leave Parker in a strong position to fight again for the belt he held for over a year, should he overcome Chisora next month.