Father time: Kali Meehan (right) with son Willis, his trainer and an undercard fighter. Photo / Duncan Brown
Father time: Kali Meehan (right) with son Willis, his trainer and an undercard fighter. Photo / Duncan Brown
I can go the distance with Parker — veteran
He goes by the nickname of Kali "Mean Hands" Meehan so it's fair to say the heavyweight professional boxer prefers to let his fists do the talking.
Consequently trash talking isn't really the forte of the Australian-based New Zealand-raised veteran who will enter the ring against Kiwi Joseph Parker in Auckland on Thursday next week.
If you ask the 45-year-old Fiji-born, west Auckland-raised pugilist he'll tell you nothing has changed for him in the coming bout against undefeated 23-year-old Parker.
"I treat every fight as my last fight simply because I don't look past my opponent," he said yesterday after passing through Hawke's Bay with his son, Willis, a fellow heavyweight and his trainer.
The 20-year-old, who will fight Leamy Tato before finding a perch in his dad's corner, punches harder than Parker? Trash talking?
To see the man who tips the scales at more than 120kg bob and weave his 1.95m frame mockingly while his father talks is a sight for mere mortals to behold.
"He hits harder than most people. He's a lot heavier and a lot bigger. Hey, Joe-Joe hits hard too but this boy [Willis] can hit harder," says Meehan, emphasising the professional relationship with his son isn't a case of filial mercy.
"What I need is hard sparring and he gives that so family doesn't come into it. He needs it too so I give it to him."
No doubt Willis should be on a collision course with Parker "if the price is right" but right now the focus is on the "old man".
"I've done everything I can. Physically I'm in my best possible shape just to be prepared," said the senior Meehan in Hastings, revealing he had amassed 80 rounds of sparring against his son and "other boys".
He was struggling to quantify his level of fitness but suffice it to say "I'm just right where I need to be".
Parker commands a variable top-20 ranking depending on which global body you consult in the murky world of prime-time boxing, while Meehan hovers closer to the No30 mark.
Detractors will be quick to point out opponents for budding world-class talent such as Parker tend to be bums or journeymen to build a mean reputation for the new kids while the former walk away with decent pay cheques.
But Meehan, a former world title contender, isn't in that category despite the inevitable dad's army billing with Parker.
His purple patch last year defies such claims. This is the bloke who ended the career of Shane "the Mountain Warrior" Cameron by unanimous decision and also won the inaugural Super 8 promotion in his home-town of west Auckland.
Joseph Parker.
"We do it for the money because otherwise it's no point doing it if it isn't good, but there's something else that comes with it. I've got a lot of pride in what I do. My legacy on this earth is boxing's taken me to to the top so I want to be remembered for that."
Critics reckon if the bout goes the distance Meehan's lungs and stamina will be exposed while Parker goes for the jugular.
Meehan was mindful of the pundits' views but said: "I wouldn't like it to go that far ... but it is what it is so if it goes the distance I'll be prepared."
Surely "Mean Hands" will go hell for leather to make sure Parker bites the canvas pretty early?
"Boxing is one of those sports where you can have a game plan but you can't start believing too much in predictions because it'll frustrate you," he said, alluding to the need to be prepared to think on his toes pretty smartly and switching to plan B.
"Hey, the main plan is I'm fit enough to go the 12 rounds so I've made sure I've covered that," said the man who is honoured, privileged and blessed to add another chapter to Kiwi boxing history in the footsteps of David Tua and Cameron.
Willis, who is 3-0 with two KOs, said training his father was inevitable, as would be their roles reversing once "Mean Hands" retired.
"I've been his biggest fan since I could walk. I know all his flaws, I know his strengths because we're in the gym together every day and have a bond unlike father-son combinations.
"The ability to train, eat and live together in the boxing world is special because you can be quite alone in the world," said the youngster who intends to return to the rugby league equation with the Sydney Roosters next year after three big bouts.
"You'd rather be in there with somebody you can trust and in boxing that's hard to find."
Willis said the pair had fine-tuned a lot since the Cameron promotion last November.
Among heavyweights, he stressed, it often took one punch to turn a fight on its head.
"It's not about what Joe's bringing but what Kali is, so we're ready," he said, adding it was a no-brainer that he was refining his craft, too.
He bade "as-salaam-alaikum" (peace be upon you) to his "Muslim brothers" in west Auckland to encourage them to support the Meehans cometh the hour on Thursday.
