sport news Where will Joe Joyce and Joseph Parker go after Saturday's heavyweight clash? trends now
Joseph Parker and Joe Joyce are set to square off in a crossroads heavyweight fight in Manchester on Saturday night.
Parker has been world heavyweight champion in the past, while Joyce is still looking to earn that status for the very first time.
With the WBO interim belt on the line, there is plenty at stake as the two fighters look to manouevre themselves into a position to fight for the full title.
Joseph Parker has been world champion in the past and is looking to win another title
Joe Joyce is standing in his way, with the pair set to meet in Manchester on Saturday night
The New Zealander has two defeats on his record but has impressed in recent fights, whereas Joyce is unbeaten yet taking a step up in class by fighting Parker.
Will he pass this acid test with flying colours, or has he bitten off more than he can chew?
Sportsmail analyses how both men are shaping up heading into the fight, and what victory and defeat will mean for the pair.
Parker looks rejuvenated under Andy Lee
Parker's two losses came in the space of four months in 2018 when he was outpointed by Anthony Joshua and then Dillian Whyte.
He returned to win his next four bouts - three inside the distance - but they were against limited opposition and his career appeared to be stagnating.
Something needed to change, and Parker made a big decision to ditch long-term trainer Kevin Barry to work with Andy Lee instead.
Lee, a former world champion in his own fighting days, was tasked with getting Parker firing again, and their first fight together saw the Kiwi go up against Derek Chisora.
Things could hardly have got off to a worse start as Parker went down in the opening seconds of the first round after taking a looping shot to the top of the head.
Parker showed vast improvements in his latest outing under new trainer Andy Lee (C)
However, with Lee in his corner, Parker gradually worked his way back into the contest and was eventually awarded a split decision victory.
Some observers felt that Chisora should have got the nod, and the jury was out on Parker and Lee's partnership at this stage.
A rematch was scheduled for December 2021, which Parker needed to win more convincingly against the ageing Chisora to prove he can be a force at world level.
Lee was in Parker's corner for both of his points victories against Derek Chisora in 2021
From the off, he was more aggressive, taking the fight to Chisora and putting him on the back foot. He knocked the Brit down three times on his way to a unanimous decision win.
It was noticeable that Parker looked fresher than in his previous fights, and the multiple knockdowns showed that he was planting his feet more and putting some considerable power behind his punches.
Lee deserves credit for getting Parker into top shape and urging the 30-year-old to show his spiteful side. If he continues to fight that way against Joyce, the Brit is in for a very difficult evening.
Sink or swim for Joyce
Joyce has never been the prettiest fighter to watch, but his style has been more than good enough to see off his 14 professional opponents to date.
Despite not appearing particularly quick or elusive, he has still beaten former world champion Bermane Stiverne, as well as ex-title challengers Bryant Jennings, Alexander Ustinov and Carlos Takam.
However, it was his victory over domestic rival Daniel Dubois in 2020 that was the most impressive of his career to date.
Joyce has used his strength and toughness to move himself into the world title picture
He used these qualities to beat Daniel Dubois, but Parker promises to be his toughest test yet
Plenty of fans felt that the hard-punching Dubois would have too much for Joyce, but the latter's granite chin instead stood up to his opponent's punches, and he broke Dubois down over time before stopping him in the 10th round.
Thus far, Joyce has relied on his strength and toughness to get by, giving up rounds along the way, and
