Joseph Parker not only sees Daniel Dubois, he absorbs it. On the running tape, walking towards the stores, moving on his phone between the training sessions, Dubois is everywhere. The images of their knockouts are repeated while Parker studies their tendencies, their mistakes and, most importantly, their confidence before their February 22 clash in Riad.
“I have seen many fights with Dubois,” says Parker during an exclusive interview with Mail Sport. 'When I am running on a running tape, when I am working in the gym, even when I am in front of a screen, I put on their fights. Dubois vs Kevin Lerena, Dubois vs Jarrell Miller, Dubois vs oleksandr usyk, Dubois vs Anthony Joshua. I am obsessed.
'He looked very good in all of them. You can see self -confidence, supporting yourself, believing in itself more than ever, that is what makes it dangerous. But, he has no chance against me. '
For 24 hours, we immerse ourselves in the Parker camp in Dublin, witnessing his relentless search for an objective: dethroning Dubois. From early morning weighing and Almohadilla work with Andy Lee to exhausting force sessions with George Lockhart, every meal, every movement, every moment was fed with a purpose.
Before his morning boxing session, Parker entered only the ring. He stopped in the blue corner, with his eyes locked in an invisible opponent. Breathing deeply, he advanced after the imaginary bell, the fists cutting the air, shadowboxing to a rival who was not there.
But for him, the fight had already begun.
Parker will challenge Daniel Dubois (left) for his FIB belt in Saudi Arabia on February 22
Dubois made a better career performance to knock Anthony Joshua in September
'The visualization is key. It is important to review what you are going to do in the fight in your mind, '' he explains. 'You need to know what you want to implement and practice it, practice in training, in the gym, in your mind, so when you are in the fight, you have already done it. It is not a surprise. It is something that you are used to executing. In my mind, he already knocked out Daniel Dubois several times. You will see what happens on February 22.
It's hard to imagine now, but there was a time when Parker's greatest opponent was not another fighter, he was himself. After winning the WBO heavyweight title in 2016, he lost the address. He had reached the summit, but instead of feeling satisfied, he felt lost.
'I won the world championship, but I really couldn't understand my feelings at that time. Now I can look back and say it, I was depressed. I didn't know what the following was. I was lost. I had locked fights, but I wasn't taking them seriously. I was partying and looking for that stop again.
'I wasn't enjoying boxing; There was no smile. Maybe outside there was a smile, but inside it was miserable. There was no satisfaction. You are there to be there. You are in the gym, but you are not really putting the job. I was going through the movements and I didn't really appreciate or enjoy it. '
Part of the problem was that Parker had done it for everyone except by himself. He had fought for New Zealand, for Samoa, for his father, for his coach at that time, Kevin Barry. But not for yourself.
'My dad wanted to be a boxer, but I couldn't due to a disability. He introduced me to sport. I didn't feel pressure to live the dream for him, but I wanted to do it for him. Of course I knew I wanted to be a boxer all my life. But then, when I was trying to become world champion, I really loved him for him. I don't.
'I wanted to make it proud. I wanted to win the world championship so bad for New Zealand, Samoa, for my coach, since I wanted to have a heavyweight worldwide champion. It was his dream, his goal.
Tyson Fury, who first joined Parker in a 'wild night' that ended with the gypsy king carried out from a Manchester nightclub hours after the couple had made a haka without a shirt after the victory of the New Zealander In 2017 about his cousin Hughie, similar struggles faced, although on a very dark scale.
If Parker expires Dubois, he will become a two -time heavyweight champion after previously winning Andy Ruiz Jr in 2016 to claim the OMB title
Parker told Mail Sport that he was depressed after winning his first world title, but insists that things are different this time.
Parker is heavier but thinner in the fight with Dubois, claiming that it is better than ever
'I have had my right part of unforgettable nights with Tyson. Once, we were having dinner at Las Vegas when the restaurant began to play 'The Champ Is Here'. I was walking behind him like Oh yes, and then we ran into Floyd Mayweather at the club. There is also the night we met. That was absolutely wild. Let's say that Haka's photos are somewhat somewhere! '.
Over the years, as their friendship deepened and combined camps in the Bay of Morecambe, the couple began sharing their struggles and leaning together.
'We have talked about our mental health. Listen, it was very similar, so we happened, in reality the same. We were both in a bad place. The only difference is that he stopped boxing and was in all media, while maintaining boxing and kept it silent.
Now, however, things are different for Parker.
'My goals are mine this time. I know what I can do in boxing. I have two, three years left, and I want to do my best. When I'm leaving, I want to know what I had everything I had.
'If I had the approach I have now in my career, it would have been unstoppable. I used to think that the more you train, the better you will be. Three times a day, every day. But that is the thought of the old school. I learned about nutrition, recovery and balance. Now, I train smarter, not just harder and I'm going to demolish Dubois'.
Before the world titles and the fights of millions of pounds, Parker's family had nothing. They could not afford to send it to tournaments abroad. When he went to the Amateur World Championship in Azerbaijan, it was alone, without a coach, just a dream and a plane ticket.
In spite of everything, his motivation was never fame or fortune, he was family.
Mail Sport saw Parker tested by coach Andy Lee (in the photo above)
Parker encouraged Charlotte Daly de Mail Sport to join her main circuit at night
Parker says that he has learned to train 'smarter' after admitting that he used to overcome before the fights
Your most proud achievement? It is not the 2016 title, not the big fights.
“Buying my parents a house,” he says with a smile. “That meant everything.”
Of course, he admits that material things have their attractiveness. He still remembers his first purchase, not a mansion, not a sports car, but a Toyota Corolla hit for $ 5,000. He laughs at that now.
'It was a 1996 or 1994 car, but I did it: new sound system, everything. That was my first big purchase. Then it was my parents' house, then taking care of my wife, now it is being kept in my children. Things have changed a lot.
But success has not come without sacrifice. For everything that boxing has given him, he has also taken moments that he can never return.
'I would have loved to be at every birth of my children, but I wasn't. I loved having been there for my wife. I missed my sister's wedding, my dad 60 and my mother's birthday. But that is the sacrifice you should do if you want to be great. I'm lucky that everyone understands.
Discipline not only shapes his life, but dictates each of his movements. Every morning begins with a grimace while the baking soda goes down, a ritual that swears despite detesting the taste.
Pushes his body to the limit, immersing himself in the icy depths of a 40 feet swimming in Ireland. And when I mention that we head to a 'spice bag' and a pint of Guinness, their eyes illuminate with envy.
Parker first joined Tyson Fury in a 'wild night' that ended with the gypsy king carried out from a Manchester nightclub hours after the couple had made a haka without a shirt
Over the years, as their friendship deepened and combined camps in the Bay of Morecambe, the couple began sharing their struggles and leaning on each other
'A Guinness?' He laughs, shaking his head. 'It's never just a Guinness. I would kill to join you. '
But if there is an indulgence that keeps it underway, it is 'Sushi Sunday'. The mere mention of your weekly trap food brings a spark to your eyes.
'I get 32 pieces of sushi, so much that the fish as you want, also Edamame, life is good. But there is no mayonnaise, without additional sauces. Simply rainbow rolls. I love salmon avocado roll, but it's too small. I want it bigger and better.
As our 24 hours together come to an end, Parker is more concentrated than ever. Not just want to win. He needs to do it.
This time, it is not about demonstrating something for his father, his coach or his country. It's about trying something for yourself.
What if it does?
It becomes: Joseph Parker, the two -time heavyweight champion.
That has a good ring.