Tupou a heavyweight test for Parker

Joseph Parker will be working on his defence ahead of his next fight in six weeks. Photo / Getty Images

Joseph Parker will be working on his defence ahead of his next fight in six weeks against a true heavyweight in Australian Bowie Tupou.

Parker's promoters Duco moved quickly to sign 32-year-old Tupou after the withdrawal of Japanese champion Kyotaro Fujimoto, Parker's original opponent for the August 1 fight in Invercargill.

Tupou was originally slated to be Parker's opponent in Auckland in October. Instead he will have an earlier opportunity to, as his trainer Jeff Fenech said yesterday, spoil the party.

This is a fight which will be relatively easy for Duco to sell. It's New Zealand v Australia and also Samoa v Tonga. It is also being described as the highest-ranked heavyweight fight ever staged in New Zealand, with Parker, ranked eighth by the WBO, matched with Tupou, ranked 13th by the same organisation.

A raucous crowd of about 3000 saw Parker demolish German Yakup Saglam in Palmerston North recently, and Duco are expecting an even more riotous welcome for their man at Stadium Southland in front of an expected crowd of 4000.

"Bowie Tupou is by far and away the strongest and most imposing guy that Joseph Parker has ever fought," Duco's Dean Lonergan said.

"This is a big step up for us because we haven't fought someone who is right in their prime and as strong as he is."

Another thing for Lonergan to be both wary of and pleased about is the presence of Fenech as Tupou's trainer. Fenech, a three-time world champion, provides credibility to Tupou but also the potential for an entertaining build-up.

"I'm here to spoil their party," he said. "I believe I have a fighter in Bowie Tupou who can take Joseph Parker out of the park and into the jungle, somewhere I believe he hasn't been before."

Fenech added: "I believe if Bowie fights the right fight ... that Bowie has the power, the size and the strength to be the first person to cause an upset. I have great respect for Kevin Barry, great respect for Joseph Parker, but I also have amazing respect for Bowie. The only thing that has been missing over the last couple of years has been somebody to make him work hard."

Parker has shown vulnerability to the overhand right - he was hit with it by Saglam in Palmerston North - and it's here that Tupou is likely to attack.

Fenech said of Parker's defensive lapse: "Maybe he's not listening and not learning that well."

Tupou, who has a 25-3 record and has been a professional since 2009, said he didn't watch Parker's fight against Saglam and wasn't concerned about the 23-year-old's recent training camp with Wladimir Klitschko.

Two of Tupou's losses came against Bryant Jennings, who took Klitschko to 12 rounds recently, and Malik Scott, who fought WBC champion Deontay Wilder last year.

"We're coming here to win. I'm not coming here just to be an opponent or pick up a pay cheque. This is my career and my job."