Junior Fa

Parker took a short break from his preparation on Friday, to spar with Luna Rossa co-helmsman Jimmy Spithill, to help promote the fight.

There was no clear winner in that contest, but the 29-year-old is looking for a definitive result when he takes on Fa at Spark Arena.

Parker is the red hot favourite to win the fight and says he’s expecting Fa to hit the canvas at some point.

The original fight was due to be held on December 12th but was postponed last week because of an illness to Fa that will see him undergo surgey tomorrow.

Fa though expects to be back into full time training by early January although he won't reveal what the medical issue is.

A disciplined Parker has kept himself in beast mode during a frustrating seven months since Covid-19 stalled what was a promising start to a year when he had such huge plans to make up for what was a disappointing 2019 as injury hit him.

Now the stars have aligned for a Kiwi superfight against his old amateur rival Junior Fa in Auckland on December 11 and Barry, in hotel lockdown for two weeks since arriving from Las Vegas, knows Parker is physically ready to dominate the man put in front of him.

Negotiations for a fight between former world champion Parker and the top-10 ranked Fa stalled once again early last month.

But the all-Kiwi contest was again being lined up.

Parker's British promoter Eddie Hearn revealed on Thursday details were being finalised for a big fight in New Zealand in October.

Responding to Hearn's comments, Parker's manager David Higgins confirmed discussions were advancing and revealed Fa was still their preferred opponent.

American Di Bella is the former boss of HBO TV's boxing set up and boasts 70 fighters on his books, including WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder.

But Di Bella says he's excited at the addition of the 27-year-old, who will now be his only other heavyweight fighter besides Wilder.

"Junior has tremendous tools, size, reach - he has power and he has amateur pedigree," he said.

"He has to be developed properly and that's going to be the job for myself and his management to make sure that he is."

He was born and raised in South Auckland and said one of his biggest achievements was winning a bronze medal for Tonga in the super heavyweight division at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

He's best known for being the man who stopped Parker from going to the 2012 London Olympics and of their four amateur encounters, the pair have won two each.

But instead of following the same path as Parker, Fa decided to get a job and start a family.

Fa and Parker have history, splitting their four amateur fights two each, and momentum is slowly building behind the prospect of the pair eventually squaring off in the pro ranks.

Born and raised in South Auckland, Fa attended two Commonwealth Games with Tonga before taking three years out of the sport to have a family.