Joseph Parker's trainer Kevin Barry plans to exploit a loophole in Brian Minto's fight contract regarding the type of gloves his man will wear in their heavyweight clash next Saturday, a move likely to bring relations between the camps to a new low.
In a build-up already notable for claimsof performance-enhancing drug-taking, accusations of lies and threats to sue, Barry's glove strategy is likely to anger Minto, a fighter he trained for his stunning victory over Shane Cameron, even further.
"Minto cunningly wrote into the contract, unbeknown to me until the contract was signed, that we would not wear Everlast MX gloves," said Barry. "I prefer them. It's a puncher's glove. I'm trying to develop Joe into a puncher so, when that was taken off the table, I looked around for another option."
Minto, who has admitted to taking testosterone for hypogonadism - which inhibits the body's ability to produce the hormone - and has threatened to sue Barry for revealing his condition, has described the Everlast MX gloves as "cheater's gloves", saying they are dangerous.
As a compromise, Barry has selected Reyes gloves for Parker which, like the Everlast MXs, are made with a combination of horse hair and foam. However, the Reyes gloves have the potential to suit Parker's precision and power even more than Barry's first choice.
"Reyes are a legendary puncher's glove," Barry said. "Everyone from [Manny] Pacquiao to De La Hoya to Muhammad Ali at the end of his career, even though he was an Everlast guy, wore Reyes. Reyes are the best-made boxing glove in the world.
"The Everlast gloves have five layers of foam. The Reyes gloves have horse hair and three layers of foam."
Asked what gloves Minto would wear, Barry said: "I don't care. All I know is Joe Parker won't be wearing MXs because Minto put it in the contract that the glove is far too dangerous, then in a mixed message said, 'I'm going to get my fist and smash it into Joe Parker's ear because he's got a busted ear drum'.
"I'm trying to work out what the hell he's thinking. But it will make him think when Joe is punching his nose with the Reyes."
Parker has trimmed his previously 108kg frame to 102kg but doesn't seem to have lost any of his power or strength. In an open sparring session in South Auckland on Friday, the 22-year-old dominated his 38-year-old opponent Junior Maletino Iakopo, a man who recently sent Afa Tatupu into retirement with a fifth-round knockout.
