Joe Joyce is expecting to break Joseph Parker down and secure a late stoppage victory on September 24.
Joyce and Parker will meet in a highly-anticipated heavyweight clash at the AO Arena, live on BT Sport Box Office.
The pair came face-to-face at a press conference in London last week and the ‘Juggernaut’ who has arrived in Las Vegas to begin training camp with coach Ismael Salas, believes he can become the first man to stop the New Zealander, whose only previous defeats have come to Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte, both on points.
“It will be my toughest fight to date, he can take a shot and he is more well rounded than anyone I’ve faced,” the 36-year-old said.
“He will be a little bit different but I will get the job done, probably in the later rounds.
“I’d love to knock him out or stop him! I’d like my KO-ratio to stay high and keep it going. I don’t want to go to points really.”
Joyce’s promoter Frank Warren initially announced in April that the heavyweight contenders would fight, although a proposed July date did not materialise, with Parker, who was at the time a free agent opting to sign with rival promoter, Ben Shalom of BOXXER, who has an exclusive network deal with Sky Sports.
A public fallout between Warren and Parker ensued, with the New Zealander claiming that the terms of the agreement changed from a one-fight deal to a three-fight pact.
Joyce, who maintained his 14-fight unbeaten streak stopping Christian Hammer in four rounds last month, has vowed to take his frustrations out on his 30-year-old rival.
“There was all the frustration of this being postponed and all the messing about, I’ve been hearing all the ins and outs from my team, but I am happy it is going ahead now. I am taking my frustration out on him.
“Now it is game time and all niceties are put aside. I was sick of hearing about it all and now I just want to get in there and beat him up.”
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Parker, a training partner of WBC heavyweight world champion, Tyson Fury is unbeaten in six fights since defeat to Whyte, conclusively beating Derek Chisora by unanimous decision in his last fight in December.
With Joyce and Parker ranked at one and two respectively with the WBO, the victor will close in on a shot at the winner of the rematch between unified WBO, WBA ‘super’, IBF and IBO champion, Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua on August 20.
