Boxing: Parker finds added motivation before coming home

Joseph Parker, left, faces off with Jason Pettaway this week. Photo / Jason Oxenham

Las Vegas-based New Zealander Joseph Parker has found inspiration at the grave of former undisputed heavyweight champion Sonny Liston on the eve of flying home to face Jason Pettaway in Auckland next week.

Even today, 44 years after his death, Liston remains one of the biggest names in heavyweight boxing through his two bouts with Muhammad Ali.

The gloves they wore in their controversial 1965 rematch sold in a New York auction during the weekend for more than $1million dollars.

The iconic photo by Sports Illustrated's Neil Leifer from that fight is still widely considered the greatest sports image of the 20th Century.

Today, Liston's final resting place is directly under the flight path of Las Vegas's McCarran International Airport.

"His grave is real simple," Parker said. "It gives me inspiration and it's very humbling to see the type of area he's buried in."

Liston ruled the world in the early 1960s with a fearsome reputation and 44 years after his death is still ranked the seventh greatest heavyweight by boxing bible, Ring Magazine.

"Everyone was afraid to fight him. They all thought that no one could beat him," Parker said.

"That was until a young Cassius Clay came along.

"No one gave Cassius Clay a chance... everyone thought he (Liston) was unbeatable and he was 7/1 favourite and Cassius Clay came and beat him which shocked everyone."

Jason Pettaway, a rank outsider, is paying $6 to beat Joseph Parker ($1.10) on Thursday, March 5.

The grave visit was a reminder to Parker that favourites can slip up and one mistake against the man dubbed 'The Technician' could dramatically set his career back.

Pettaway will enter the ring in Manukau with the best professional record of any of Parker's previous 12 opponents.

The Technician has a 17-1 pro record and, as an amateur, was a two-time American Golden Gloves champion, fighting 136 times.

By contrast, Parker, 23, had just 66 amateur fights before turning professional in 2012 where his record stands at 12-0.
NZME.