Boxing: Meehan out to ambush the lion

BATTLE OF THE KIWIS: Kali Meehan believes New Zealand rival Joe Parker is still learning and has yet to be tested in the ring.PHOTO/JOHN BORREN

Kali Meehan is undoubtedly the best boxer Joseph Parker has taken on in his fledgling career so far.

While Meehan, 45, is at the end of his fighting life like so many of Parker's 15 opponents, unlike them he is in great shape and desperate to leave a legacy behind, for his pro fighter son Willis to emulate.

Meehan outlined what his motivation was ahead of next Thursday's rumble in West Auckland with the much younger Parker, 23, during a whistle-stop promotion trip to the Bay of Plenty yesterday.

Boxer Kali Meehan (left), who is due to fight Joseph Parker, takes a stroll along Pilot Bay beach with his son and sparring partner, Willis Meehan. Photo/John Borren

"Obviously we do this for a living. It is our livelihood, but it is more than that for me," Meehan said.

"When I was the up-and-comer and I fought the big names, it was really exciting for me to bump them off. But for some weird reason, I always looked forward to one day being the old dog and having some lion coming to bump me off.

"This is it, this is my time. I have made sure I have really done the work. I don't want to lose the fight for my pride.

"I hate losing. (Parker) is lucky in the sense that obviously he is younger but another advantage is he has been fighting more regularly.

"I have made up for that I feel with hard sparring, mainly with (son) Willis. I have done up to 80 rounds, which is a lot. I'm ready to fight. This is the second biggest fight in New Zealand boxing history after David Tua and Shane Cameron."

Meehan's last fight was a year ago when he ended Cameron's career in brutal fashion. A similar assault on Parker is planned by Meehan, who believes Parker is yet to be tested in the ring.

"He is a good, strong, young fighter and he has a few vulnerabilities that I see, that he will probably not have after five or so more fights.

"He is still learning and I aim to take advantage of that. It is going to be a good fight; no it's going to be an awesome fight."

Meehan has been quoted as saying his son Willis hits harder than Parker, which Meehan says was not meant to be disrespectful to Parker but is just how he sees it.

"I wasn't dishing (Parker). He is a good hitter, for sure he is."