Joseph Parker with heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.
Heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko has spoken of his admiration for New Zealander Joseph Parker.
Parker, 23, is currently in a training camp with Klitschko in Miami as the Ukranian prepares for his 18th title defence when he faces Bryant Jennings on April 25 at New York's Madison Square Garden.
"He's
extremely talented," Klitschko told ESPN.com of sparring partner Parker. "He's strong but he is very different from [Englishman] Anthony Joshua even though they are both very determined and very tough. I see myself in Joseph in a certain way. I can't say anything negative.
"I don't know how the guy will develop but he has the potential. [Former sparring partner] Deontay [Wilder] is a champion now. Anthony Joshua is getting better. They're all in the process of developing and they still have things they have to go through."
Klitschko said Parker's size - at 1.94m and 106kg he is of similar dimensions to Klitschko - made him an ideal sparring partner.
