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Joseph Parker mural in Te Puke, New Zealand. Photo by Kidsoljah- Wikimedia commons

Top 10 Facts about Joseph Parker

Joseph Dennis Parker, OM (born 9 January 1992) is a professional boxer from New Zealand. From 2016 to 2018, he held the WBO heavyweight title. He has held several regional heavyweight titles, including the WBO Oriental, Africa, and Oceania titles, as well as the PABA, OPBF, and New Zealand titles.

As an amateur, he represented New Zealand in the super-heavyweight division at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, narrowly missing qualification for the 2012 Summer Olympics. 

Parker made his professional debut in July 2012 with Duco Events in Auckland, where he was mentored by Sir Bob Jones.

1.Joseph’s brief summary of his introduction to boxing

Dempsey and Sala Parker gave birth to Joseph Parker on January 9, 1992, in South Auckland. His father, Dempsey, was named after American boxer Jack Dempsey, the world heavyweight champion.

Joseph was passionate about the sport since he was a small child.  He began playing the sport at the age of 11 and continued to do so throughout high school.

Parker grew up in Auckland’s large suburb of Mangere and attended Marcellin College in Hillsborough. He began jabbing his father’s palms at the age of three, and Dempsey gave him boxing gloves and a punching bag while he was still a young boy.

He joined the Papatoetoe Boxing Club when he was ten years old to pursue and learn more about the sport. Grant Arkell and former boxer Manny Santos trained him.

2.Parker’s family and cultural background

Parker admired David Tua and Maselino Masoe, who grew up in the same neighborhood as him. Parker is the middle child among three siblings, with an older sister, Elizabeth, and a younger brother, John, who is a professional boxer.

He is primarily of Samoan descent, with roots in the Faleula Village on the main island of Upolu, where his mother is from. In the early 1980s, both of his parents immigrated to New Zealand from Samoa.

Parker also comes from a religious family, as his father is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

3.Joseph has a nickname given to him by his village tribe

Parker is known as Lupesoliai La’auliolemalietoa, the high chief’s name. Despite reports that the rising star had been bestowed with a matai (chief) title, the village of Faleula revealed to him the name to bestow upon him the chiefly title of La’auli.

The village’s paramount chief, Loau Keneti Sio, urged him to be a “strong man.”  He bestowed his blessings on Parker, reminding him that the title is a gift from the village and a “blessing to him.”

Loau stated that informing him that he has been selected to receive the title La’auli is a sign of respect. It is also a village thank you for what he has done for Samoa.

4.Where was Parker during the birth of his 1st born daughter?

Joseph Parker mural in Te Puke, New Zealand. Photo by Kidsoljah- Wikimedia commons

Parker’s partner, Laine Tavita, announced in early October 2016 that she was expecting Parker’s child. Prior to the announcement, Parker attended a baby shower before flying off to prepare for his world title fight. He was in Las Vegas preparing when Tavita gave birth to their daughter, named Elizabeth Ah-Sue Sala after his sister and mother.

5.Parker received the Order of Merit Award from Samoa Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi

Parker received the Order of Merit Award from Samoa Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi during the 2017 Government Honours and Awards. He was the ceremony’s youngest award recipient. The Prime Minister also announced that Samoa’s government would host a special welcome for Parker, complete with a half-day commission holiday.

6.The birth of his other children as the years went by

Parker stated in the run-up to his fight against Anthony Joshua in 2018 that he had purchased a new home in New Zealand for his family. He disclosed to his partner Laine on social media in early July that he had a second daughter, Shiloh Jasmine Parker.

Parker and Laine welcomed their third child, Michaela Florence Parker, on May 25, 2019.

Parker made the announcement on his Instagram account. Parker was not present to witness his daughter’s birth because he was in Las Vegas for a training camp with Kevin Barry.

7.Joseph never attended his sister’s wedding as he was stuck at work in a different city

Joseph Parker mural in Te Puke, New Zealand. Photo by Kidsoljah- Wikimedia commons

While in Vegas for training, Joseph also missed his big sister Elizabeth’s wedding. He has made amends by giving his new daughter her first name.

8.Parker made sure he was not only physically fit for his boxing matches but also mentally fit

In addition to a rigorous physical training regimen, Joseph has been working with a therapist to psychologically prepare for the championship fight.

9.His whole family is and has always been Morman

His family is religious. Since he was a young boy he always knew of a higher power and took time of his day to share these spiritual moments with his family. 

10.Joseph is undefeated in 21 professional fights and has 18 knockout victories

Joseph Parker mural in Te Puke, New Zealand. Photo by Kidsoljah- Wikimedia commons

Parker and Carlos Takam agreed to meet in an IBF heavyweight eliminator on May 21, 2016. The winner would have to fight for the world title against Britain’s reigning champion, Anthony Joshua.

Parker and his handlers managed to avoid fighting Takam twice the previous year because of the danger associated, according to Parker’s manager. Parker won an unanimous vote after twelve rounds in front of a raucous home crowd at South Auckland’s Vodafone Events Centre in New Zealand.

It was scored 116-112 by two judges and 115-113 by one. Parker outworked Takam, and neither threw many punches to win the rounds.

On May 23, 2016, the fight contract for Joseph Parker vs. Solomon Haumono was finally signed. The pair had previously expressed interest in fighting each other, so this match-up had been in the works for quite some time.

Initially, Haumono’s WBA Oceania and PABA heavyweight titles were on the line.

It was billed as a Trans-Tasman grudge match, with Parker’s IBF world heavyweight mandatory position on the line, which drew the attention of Australian media and the general public.

Parker defeated Haunono via technical knockout in the fourth round.

Parker’s team announced Parker’s 1 October fight with the tall Ukrainian-born German Alexander Dimitrenko in a 12-round bout at the Vodafone Events Centre in Manukau, the same venue where Parker defeated Carlos Takam on points to secure the IBF number one mandatory position in May.

Kevin Barry, Dimitrenko’s trainer, stated that the fight was a warm-up for his eventual heavyweight title fight with Anthony Joshua. Parker got off to a fast start, knocking out Dimitrenko in the first round.

In round two, he used his speed to knock Dimitrenko down twice with right hands. In round three, Dimitrenko was knocked down for the final time; as he fell, Parker landed another body shot that the referee appeared to miss.

One minute and 36 seconds into round three, the fight was called off.