Joseph Parker Talks Difference Between Dubois and Zhang

WBO interim heavyweight champion Joseph Parker (35-3, 23 KOs) shared his thoughts on preparing for his upcoming fight against IBF champion Daniel Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs).

The New Zealander admitted that he had been preparing for a matchup against Chinese boxer Zhang Zhilei (27-2-1, 22 KOs), and as a result, he will make some adjustments leading up to the fight with Dubois, namely reducing his weight.

"I thought the next fight would be a rematch with Zhang Zhilei. Everything we were doing was focused on that. The only difference with Zhang is the weight. I think my stamina was better, my speed was better. Zhang is a very good boxer with a high boxing IQ.

The fight with Dubois will be completely different, so this time we’re going to focus on losing weight. With Dubois, you need to be quick. Deontay Wilder and Zhang are powerful punchers. The same goes for Dubois, but his stamina is on a different level compared to those two fighters. He throws a lot of combinations, so I really need to step up my game for this fight," Parker said on The Ariel x Ade Show on DAZN.

The fight between Joseph Parker and Daniel Dubois is scheduled for February 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.