Boxing: Junior Fa on Joseph Parker fight - 'This is life-changing'

Junior Fa - hoping Lovely Day leads to even better night. Photo/Photosport

Life-changing.

That's the way Junior Fa is viewing Saturday night's Stonewood Homes heavyweight clash against Joseph Parker in Auckland.

And the 31-year-old Fa has even got a subsequent world-class opponent in mind – Brit Derek Chisora - should he beat Parker, who goes into the contest at Spark Arena as a heavy favourite.

"One hundred per cent this is the biggest fight of my career," Fa told Brian Kelly on Gold AM's Country Sport Breakfast.

"It comes with a lot of reward – I've got to make sure I take it with both hands.

"I really want bigger fights after this one. A win puts me in the Top 10 of all the sanctioning bodies, which basically opens up bigger fights with Derek Chisora, and possible world title contention.

Watch live 11am - Parker v Fa press conference

"There are a lot of great fights to be made if I come through this as the winner. One hundred per cent, this can be life-changing."

The undefeated Fa last fought in November 2019, a 10-rounder against American Devin Vargas in Utah.

Fa had mystery surgery late last year and said he was "one hundred per cent better - it sets up the rest of my career and means I won't need to step back or take another surgery".

Fa and Parker had four fights as amateurs, the results being shared. Fa said Saturday night's fight would be even sweeter, because it offered the chance of a tiebreaker.

He's been training to the sounds of Bill Withers' 'Lovely Day'.

"It makes me happy, and a happy fighter is a dangerous fighter," he said.

"I haven't been this excited for a long time. It's been a while since I've been in the ring and I'm good to go."