Boxing: Joseph Parker meets physical match in huge Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Xavier Su'a-Filo

Joseph Parker and Xavier Sua-Filo. Photo / Supplied

Joseph Parker has met his physical match in Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Xavier Su'a-Filo, a 143kg giant of Samoan descent who is one of the biggest players in the famed football team.

The 29-year-old Su'a-Filo, who was born in Utah, and recently visited family connections in New Zealand, is a big Parker supporter and arranged to meet the Kiwi heavyweight boxer ahead of his fight against American Shawndell Winters on Sunday afternoon.

Parker is fighting Winters on the undercard of the Mikey Garcia v Jessie Vargas world welterweight title fight at the indoor stadium in Frisco used by the Cowboys as a training base, and Su'a-Filo showed Parker and the rest of his entourage around the palatial facilities alongside, including the luxurious locker room and gymnasium.

Owned by billionaire Jerry Jones, the Cowboys' headquarters lobby features Italian marble floors and houses the franchise's five Superbowl trophies. Their outdoor fields feature both manicured grass and artificial grass.

"I'm a fan of heavyweight boxing anyway but for him to be of Samoan descent, the same as me, I have a family connection in New Zealand and I thought it would be cool to meet him while he was here," Su'a-Filo said.

"I've heard a lot of great things about him; as a person too, not just as a fighter. I cheer hard for him every time he fights and I feel like I already know him."

Su'a-Filo, who is recovering from a broken leg suffered when a teammate fell on him during a game, is off-contract and next month will discover whether he will be staying at the Cowboys or whether he has to look for a new team. What is not in doubt is his size; at 1.96m, he is slightly taller than Parker and far heavier. Parker is likely to weigh in about 110kg.

"We're all kind of the same size," Su'a-Filo said of his and his teammates' physical dimensions. "It's weird because we think we're normal size because we're around each other all the time. Zack [Martin, another guard who Parker also met] has been here his whole career and we're the same age. As a unit we're the tallest and heaviest guys on the roster.

"I was a starter at Houston for four years and then I came here. In my first season somebody got hurt and I filled in for the whole of the rest of the season. This past season worked for me as well. I've had a lot of success here and am real grateful to be here."

Su'a-Filo, who has been invited into Parker's dressing room before the fight, said of the Cowboys' facilities and their wealthy owner: "Mr Jones - he spares no expense. He goes all out to take care of his guys."

Joseph Parker v Shawndell Winters on the undercard of the Mikey Garcia v Jessie Vargas world title fight will be screened live on Sky Arena on Sunday. Parker's fight is scheduled to start at 2pm, and will be covered live on nzherald.co.nz.

Patrick McKendry travelled to Dallas with assistance from Duco Events.