Before Joseph Parker officially remakes his final claim as a championship-caliber fighter, he’ll first be asked to topple former Olympic silver medalist, Joe Joyce.

In the main event slot at the Manchester Arena this Saturday night, both highly ranked contenders will battle it out with the WBO interim crown hanging in the balance. Pegged as a sizable underdog, Parker (30-2, 21 KOs) is bemused by those who are counting him out. Throughout the entirety of Joyce’s pugilistic career, Parker has kept a close eye on his development. And while he respects what he brings to the table wholeheartedly, the former WBO belt holder has a difficult time visualizing where Joyce holds the edge over him in any category.

“When I go into this fight, I know that I can take care of business and beat this guy up," said Parker to Jai-Marcus McAllister: BOXING. "I think I’m going to be too fast, I’m going to be too quick, I have better movement than he does.”

Joyce, 37, has long been castigated for his primitive fighting style. But even with the former Olympic silver medalist lacking a more eye-pleasing approach, the hard-hitting heavyweight contender has enjoyed plenty of in-ring success.

As of now, Joyce’s most memorable moment in the ring came approximately two years ago. On November 28th, 2020, the gargantuan contender was viewed as a significant underdog heading into his showdown against Daniel Dubois. Yet, in spite of the betting world waiting for him to fall flat on his face, Joyce (14-0, 13 KOs) collected the most impressive win of his career, a 10th-round stoppage victory.

Since then, Joyce has continued to have his hands raised in triumph, scoring back-to-back knockout wins over Carlos Takam and Christian Hammer. Parker though, shrugs his shoulders when discussing the underrated skills that Joyce possesses.

By all accounts, as the former heavyweight belt holder places the finishing touches on an arduous training camp, he appears to be drenched in confidence, no matter what Joyce brings to the table.

“Of course, he’s got this jab and comes forward and he’s got a good engine but I’ve prepared for that.”