October 23, 2025 • 6 mins
Heavyweight boxing moves to London on Sunday morning.
Joseph Parker is back in the ring taking on Fabio Wardley, a boxer from London who only took up the sport at age 20.
A win would put Parker firmly in line for a shot at the undisputed world heavy weight title against Oleksander Usyk.
Parker told Mike Hosking, 'I'm in proper good shape for a good fight this weekend.'
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Parker back in the ring this weekend. Theory goes, he's
one went away from a title fight. The opponent's Fabio Wardley.
Wadley's got a good record nineteen wins, no losses, one draw.
The winds are all knockout. So are we ready to rumble?
Joe Parkers with us from London.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Morning, Good morning, good evening from London.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Yeah, you're fighting fit and ready to knock somebody out.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
You know what I've had, I've had a tremendous camp
of put us in a very work very productive camp,
also focused on a lot of recovery, and I feel
like coming into this fight week, there are no injuries,
there are no niggles and pain, and I'm in shape.
I'm in proper good shape for a good fight this weekend.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
That's good. What's your plan? Because this guy Wardley's unusual,
isn't he Where he's come from, how he fights and
all that sort of stuff. Is he an unknown quantity.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
He's I think it's a bit ann in the sense
that you know, he didn't come from the amateur background type,
or you have a lot of amateur fighting and going
to the professional ranks and carry that with you. I
think of Wardley. He started off as a white collar,
white collar fighter, come into the game, and he's learned
along the way, and someone like that is unpredictable because
he doesn't have the same similarity as the fighters who
(01:07):
have gone through the Diamashi rank. So his file is
very different. It's a different to the normal fighter who's
had or the amateur pedigree.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
How much type have you looked at him?
Speaker 2 (01:18):
I've locked out a lot of tape. I've watched his
last five fights many times. I mean, why running on
a treadmill for an hour hour and a half And
I've just been watching his fights over and over and
over again and then talking to Andy Lee about the
good things he does also the things he does not
so good. And they're coming up of a game plan
that we can go into the.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Fight with see and reading about him, I acount work
it out. So he's got all the wins, he's never lost,
he's had one drawer and he knocks everybody out. But
because of where he's come from and it's all corporate
and unusual. Is that do they count the knockouts counter
or is it just show fighting?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
I do you know what? With his professional career, he
has knocked everyone out. He's horn but I would say
that a lot of the fighters that haven't been in
the top ten or top fifteen in the world. So
even and if it looks impressive and he's got he
does have a big right hand, which I'm going to
be cautious and whey and I'm going to be switched
on for every second of are minute of are round.
I'm not going to take that lightly. But if you
compare the record, or if you compare the people that
(02:11):
we have fought together, I don't think he's on the
same level as me.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Okay, what's the buzz like at the moment? Is there
something building here? Does that feel good?
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Oh? It feels great, That's what I'm in the hotel.
The support here is an amazing right. You come from
New Zealand, a small place, and you come from Salamo
and that's side of the world, and you come here
to London, you go to Ireland, you go to all
the countries on this side, and he got people loving
you and supporting you, backing, and that for me, that's
like a humbling feeling because we come from a small place,
right and we get so much love on this side
of the world and everyone's buzzing for this fight.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Is he going to get a lot of advantage given
it sort of a home crowd for him?
Speaker 2 (02:47):
That's and they've taken me, taking me in as your own.
I feel like I do feel like that he's going
to have a lot of support here because he's from here.
But I do feel like the crowd's going to be
a mixed crowd. There's also going to be support for
team Team Partkner.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
How have you weighed this up? Joe? It's like you
want to fight, so you take the fight. But you're
taking a risk on this fight, giving us a bit
of an unknown, aren't you?
Speaker 2 (03:10):
You know, Mike is risk in every fight, It doesn't
matter who you fight. Is a risk in every fight.
And you know what time for me? I keep I
say about time is very important. Time goes fast and
does a wait for anyone. So if I if I
chose to wait for usick and I never even got
to fight anyways, then I just wasted my time waiting.
I want to fight. I want to keep active and
I feel like I'm coming into my prime, so I
want to make it most of it.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Yeah, is it frustrating waiting on what may or may
not happen with Yusic and Duboir and all the other stuff.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Nah, you know what I used to back in the
day when I wasn't in the position I am now.
You'll get You'll get frustrated. You'll be like, why is
this happening? Or why am I not getting this fight?
But you know what, I've just come to a place
now where I just appreciate what I can control, and
that's meat training and off season meat preparing well, meat
building away. And now that I'm in camp or now
that I'm in fight week, I feel like I'm ready
to go.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Ready to go fantastic. So let's say you have you
got a plan for this flight. Are you going for
a knockout? Or will it go the distance? Or you
just play it as it comes.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
As crazy as it sounds like, I'm going to go
into the site and I'm going to just dance over
those lights and I'm going to just enjoy my work.
I know what I can do, and I've seen it aspiring,
I've seen it in the training. I've seen it and
holding the pairs of Andy Lee. If I guy didn't
execute the plan, I know I'm going to put on
a great performance, fantastic.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Have you been watching I've been watching on Netflix the
match Room documentary with the Herne people. Have you seen
that documentary yet?
Speaker 2 (04:28):
I've seen part of it. Yes, I have been part
of it. And it's also brings a lot of eyes
to the sport of boxing. Yeah, having things like these
documentaries exactly.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
It was interesting to watch because Queensbury's featured, and you
know you with Frank, is Frank a good guy? Frank Warren?
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Yeah, Frank is a good guy, like all these promoters
good guys, but they are promoters and also promoters have
their favorites. And because we're from New Zealand, far far
away and we're not coming from a big a place
where we can bring a lot of eyes and a
lot of attention, you know, the promoters here will always
choose their own that's true.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
So let's say you win this one. Is that you've
done for the year, do you think or we can't
say that yet?
Speaker 2 (05:05):
See wind this one, and then you never know what's
going to happen if there's another fuone December of My
body's ready to go and I'm ready to go back
into another camp, Jimmy, as many places as you can
for the time I lift in boxing.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Fantastic. Well listen, we love talking to you, Joe as
always go well this weekend and we assume you're going
to win because you will win because you are a
win A lovely to.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Talk to you. Thank you, Mike Kevil, good day and
after you soon there we.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Go Joe Parker out of London this morning. Is he
the nicest guy in the world. I love Joe Parker,
absolutely love them, I think, and this is a bit
risky of me being a bit loose on a Friday.
I think you'd be my favorite sportsperson of all the
sports people. I think pro pickleballer that you know, well, yeah,
I'm talking elite athletes. Oh you know what I'm saying, Mike.
(05:48):
Joe Parker integrity, values, modesty is legendary, remarkable man, I
think he is. And next question I have for you,
where would it sit if he won? So he goes
with you sick after this fight and he gets to
usick and he beats U sick and he gets all
the titles. Where would that sit in the annals of
New Zealand's history? Having a title? I mean, you know,
(06:10):
you remember Joshua when he fought Joshua that was incredible.
The interest in this country was next level, because so
whatever you want about boxing, when it gets to that
level and it's on and it's real, the nation comes
to a grinding halt. And if he won that, just
imagine if he won that, where would that put him
in the animals of sports history. Oh For more from
The Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to news talks. It'd
(06:31):
be from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
Parker back in the ring this weekend. Theory goes, he's
one went away from a title fight. The opponent's Fabio Wardley.
Wadley's got a good record nineteen wins, no losses, one draw.
The winds are all knockout. So are we ready to rumble?
Joe Parkers with us from London.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Morning, Good morning, good evening from London.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Yeah, you're fighting fit and ready to knock somebody out.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
You know what I've had, I've had a tremendous camp
of put us in a very work very productive camp,
also focused on a lot of recovery, and I feel
like coming into this fight week, there are no injuries,
there are no niggles and pain, and I'm in shape.
I'm in proper good shape for a good fight this weekend.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
That's good. What's your plan? Because this guy Wardley's unusual,
isn't he Where he's come from, how he fights and
all that sort of stuff. Is he an unknown quantity.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
He's I think it's a bit ann in the sense
that you know, he didn't come from the amateur background type,
or you have a lot of amateur fighting and going
to the professional ranks and carry that with you. I
think of Wardley. He started off as a white collar,
white collar fighter, come into the game, and he's learned
along the way, and someone like that is unpredictable because
he doesn't have the same similarity as the fighters who
(01:07):
have gone through the Diamashi rank. So his file is
very different. It's a different to the normal fighter who's
had or the amateur pedigree.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
How much type have you looked at him?
Speaker 2 (01:18):
I've locked out a lot of tape. I've watched his
last five fights many times. I mean, why running on
a treadmill for an hour hour and a half And
I've just been watching his fights over and over and
over again and then talking to Andy Lee about the
good things he does also the things he does not
so good. And they're coming up of a game plan
that we can go into the.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Fight with see and reading about him, I acount work
it out. So he's got all the wins, he's never lost,
he's had one drawer and he knocks everybody out. But
because of where he's come from and it's all corporate
and unusual. Is that do they count the knockouts counter
or is it just show fighting?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
I do you know what? With his professional career, he
has knocked everyone out. He's horn but I would say
that a lot of the fighters that haven't been in
the top ten or top fifteen in the world. So
even and if it looks impressive and he's got he
does have a big right hand, which I'm going to
be cautious and whey and I'm going to be switched
on for every second of are minute of are round.
I'm not going to take that lightly. But if you
compare the record, or if you compare the people that
(02:11):
we have fought together, I don't think he's on the
same level as me.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Okay, what's the buzz like at the moment? Is there
something building here? Does that feel good?
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Oh? It feels great, That's what I'm in the hotel.
The support here is an amazing right. You come from
New Zealand, a small place, and you come from Salamo
and that's side of the world, and you come here
to London, you go to Ireland, you go to all
the countries on this side, and he got people loving
you and supporting you, backing, and that for me, that's
like a humbling feeling because we come from a small place,
right and we get so much love on this side
of the world and everyone's buzzing for this fight.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Is he going to get a lot of advantage given
it sort of a home crowd for him?
Speaker 2 (02:47):
That's and they've taken me, taking me in as your own.
I feel like I do feel like that he's going
to have a lot of support here because he's from here.
But I do feel like the crowd's going to be
a mixed crowd. There's also going to be support for
team Team Partkner.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
How have you weighed this up? Joe? It's like you
want to fight, so you take the fight. But you're
taking a risk on this fight, giving us a bit
of an unknown, aren't you?
Speaker 2 (03:10):
You know, Mike is risk in every fight, It doesn't
matter who you fight. Is a risk in every fight.
And you know what time for me? I keep I
say about time is very important. Time goes fast and
does a wait for anyone. So if I if I
chose to wait for usick and I never even got
to fight anyways, then I just wasted my time waiting.
I want to fight. I want to keep active and
I feel like I'm coming into my prime, so I
want to make it most of it.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Yeah, is it frustrating waiting on what may or may
not happen with Yusic and Duboir and all the other stuff.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Nah, you know what I used to back in the
day when I wasn't in the position I am now.
You'll get You'll get frustrated. You'll be like, why is
this happening? Or why am I not getting this fight?
But you know what, I've just come to a place
now where I just appreciate what I can control, and
that's meat training and off season meat preparing well, meat
building away. And now that I'm in camp or now
that I'm in fight week, I feel like I'm ready
to go.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Ready to go fantastic. So let's say you have you
got a plan for this flight. Are you going for
a knockout? Or will it go the distance? Or you
just play it as it comes.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
As crazy as it sounds like, I'm going to go
into the site and I'm going to just dance over
those lights and I'm going to just enjoy my work.
I know what I can do, and I've seen it aspiring,
I've seen it in the training. I've seen it and
holding the pairs of Andy Lee. If I guy didn't
execute the plan, I know I'm going to put on
a great performance, fantastic.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Have you been watching I've been watching on Netflix the
match Room documentary with the Herne people. Have you seen
that documentary yet?
Speaker 2 (04:28):
I've seen part of it. Yes, I have been part
of it. And it's also brings a lot of eyes
to the sport of boxing. Yeah, having things like these
documentaries exactly.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
It was interesting to watch because Queensbury's featured, and you
know you with Frank, is Frank a good guy? Frank Warren?
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Yeah, Frank is a good guy, like all these promoters
good guys, but they are promoters and also promoters have
their favorites. And because we're from New Zealand, far far
away and we're not coming from a big a place
where we can bring a lot of eyes and a
lot of attention, you know, the promoters here will always
choose their own that's true.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
So let's say you win this one. Is that you've
done for the year, do you think or we can't
say that yet?
Speaker 2 (05:05):
See wind this one, and then you never know what's
going to happen if there's another fuone December of My
body's ready to go and I'm ready to go back
into another camp, Jimmy, as many places as you can
for the time I lift in boxing.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Fantastic. Well listen, we love talking to you, Joe as
always go well this weekend and we assume you're going
to win because you will win because you are a
win A lovely to.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Talk to you. Thank you, Mike Kevil, good day and
after you soon there we.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Go Joe Parker out of London this morning. Is he
the nicest guy in the world. I love Joe Parker,
absolutely love them, I think, and this is a bit
risky of me being a bit loose on a Friday.
I think you'd be my favorite sportsperson of all the
sports people. I think pro pickleballer that you know, well, yeah,
I'm talking elite athletes. Oh you know what I'm saying, Mike.
(05:48):
Joe Parker integrity, values, modesty is legendary, remarkable man, I
think he is. And next question I have for you,
where would it sit if he won? So he goes
with you sick after this fight and he gets to
usick and he beats U sick and he gets all
the titles. Where would that sit in the annals of
New Zealand's history? Having a title? I mean, you know,
(06:10):
you remember Joshua when he fought Joshua that was incredible.
The interest in this country was next level, because so
whatever you want about boxing, when it gets to that
level and it's on and it's real, the nation comes
to a grinding halt. And if he won that, just
imagine if he won that, where would that put him
in the animals of sports history. Oh For more from
The Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to news talks. It'd
(06:31):
be from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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