Joyce and Parker will fight for the WBO interim heavyweight title on Saturday, with the winner set for a mandatory shot at Oleksandr Usyk; Joyce weighs in at 271.6lbs to Parker's 255.4lbs
Friday 23 September 2022 15:39, UK
Joe Joyce and Joseph Parker both tipped the scales at their career heaviest as they weighed in for Saturday's WBO interim heavyweight title fight in Manchester.
Joyce weighed in at 271.6lbs, six pounds heavier than his last fight, with Parker adding four pounds as he came in at 255.4lbs.
A WBO mandatory shot at Oleksandr Usyk, the unified world champion, is at stake for the winner, and the fighters traded words on the stage after an intense face-off little more than 24 hours out from the opening bell.
Parker, 30, is the underdog despite being a former world champion, but the New Zealander who has been training with Tyson Fury said he is confident of stopping Joyce.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the weigh in, Parker said: "That's where I wanted to be, coming in a bit heavier with more power, that's what we wanted for my weight.
"I just said to him (Joyce) that I hope he is ready for the fight and I hope that he gets knocked out. He is a nice guy and I look forward to tomorrow's fight.
"We know what it takes tomorrow to get the win. He is more than [a lump], he is a tough, big man - he has got the engine.
"My job is to break him down, step by step, round by round and punch by punch. It would be me right up in the mix, the winner of this fight gets into that little group at the top.
Joyce is unbeaten in his professional career and has won 13 of his 14 fights by knockout.
He said: "This big lump is going to be coming at you on Saturday night."
Andy Lee, who has been training Parker, said his boxer "knows how to make this an easy fight".
"Parker is leagues apart. Joyce has a big engine, is strong, punches hard himself. We know what we're up against. This is elite."
Saturday's undercard features a featherweight contest between unified world champion Amanda Serrano and IBF title-holder Sarah Mahfoud.
Serrano weighed in at 124.7lbs and Mahfoud weighed 124.9lbs.
