Trainer Andy Lee is working to make sure Joseph Parker will not suffer from inattentiveness during his upcoming fight against puncher Deontay Wilder.
Lee, the former middleweight titlist from London, is preparing New Zealand’s Parker for his 12-round bout with Tuscaloosa, Alabama’s Wilder bout on Dec. 23 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The card will feature Anthony Joshua in the main event against Otto Wallin, as well as a host of other top names, including light heavyweight titlist Dmitry Bivol and cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia.
Parker, a former champion, has won two fights in a row since his brutal knockout loss to Joe Joyce in September. Parker has also suffered losses to Dillian Whyte and Joshua.
But the 31-year-old Parker may be taking on the most dangerous assignment of his career in Wilder, who has recorded 42 stoppages in 43 fights. (Wilder himself has two defeats to Tyson Fury.)
Lee, who has trained Parker for the past couple of years, likes his charge’s chances against Wilder, provided he trains properly.
“How do you defend against the big right hand [of Wilder]?” Lee told iFL TV. “You keep your left hand high, keep your eyes open. The minute you take a little break, or just have a momentary lapse, he’ll pounce. And he can spring from very far, very quick. So Joe has to be on him every second. He has to be patient.
“He has to be very far away or up on his chest—he can’t be in that middle dangerous range. And then you gotta take the opportunities when they come. And there will be an opportunity for Joe. He punches very hard.”
Lee feels it is in Parker’s favor that Wilder is coming off a layoff of more than a year. Wilder last fought in October of last year when he knocked out Robert Helenius in one round. That fight was also preceded by a layoff of a year, after he was stopped by Tyson Fury in their trilogy bout in October of 2021.
“Wilder’s had a one-rounder, not even for one round, so if there was ever a time when the stars aligned—I said to Joe this is meant to be,” Lee said. “This is meant to be, but we have to do the right things to get there.”
Sean Nam is the author of Murder on Federal Street: Tyrone Everett, the Black Mafia, and the Last Golden Age of Philadelphia Boxing.