Joseph Parker’s trainer and nutritionist George Lockhart — a former Marine who has formed a winning partnership with the Kiwi heavyweight over the last year — believes it’s only a matter of time before Parker is the undisputed world champion.
Lockhart, an American former professional cage fighting world champion who has worked with world titleholders such as Connor McGregor and Tyson Fury, began helping Parker before his fight with Faiga Opelu almost exactly 12 months ago.
After a slump in performance which included a knockout defeat to Joe Joyce – his first stoppage loss – Parker’s physical condition caught the eye and he destroyed Opelu in a matter of minutes.
Parker followed that up with a similarly impressive stoppage win over Simon Kean in Saudi Arabia with two breakout point victories over Deontay Wilder, the former WBC champion, and the dangerous Zhilei Zhang, also in Riyadh.
Lockhart is in Auckland working with Parker, a former WBO world champion who will likely fight again in September or October, and spoke to 1News about his man’s progress.
“I was dumbfounded by the starting point,” he said of Parker. “People become world champions because they are great at X, Y and Z. I showed up here and started working with Joe and thought ‘how on God’s green earth did you become a world champion?’. Joe couldn’t lift, Joe couldn’t lift ‘t run. Without a base you became a world champion. I thought if you built that base you’re going to be the greatest.”
Joseph Parker connects with a body shot during his win over Zhilei Zhang. (Source: Photosport)
“We clicked,” Lockhart said. “Everything I said, he said ‘OK, let’s do this.’
“I knew this was going to happen. I’ve seen the process. I’ll tell you right now that next year he will be the undisputed [champion]. “He will be better than everybody and I’ve worked with everybody.”
Parker said: “Everything is timing. George, myself and [coach] Andy Lee makes the best team and I do have full faith in what we’re doing. Rest, eating, training, family time – I follow exactly the schedule that is set.
“I feel like I love the journey and process way more than I did before.”
Asked how much influence Lockhart had on Parker’s late career renaissance, Parker said: “Everything. Andy is the head trainer and a great trainer. But out of boxing, recovery, strength work, conditioning, food, nutrition – George looks after everything else. I feel like I’m on to a winning formula that works for me.”
Parker will be present at his friend Fury’s fight against Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed world heavyweight championship in Riyadh on Sunday NZT – in fact he is part of the broadcast team – and will return to Auckland to prepare for whatever is next.
There is a rematch clause with Zhang, but the Chinese fighter has signed to fight Wilder in the meantime.
“I feel like the Zhang rematch is still a possibility, depending on how he does against Wilder — but then you’ve got Filip Hrgovic, Daniel Dubois, Andy Ruiz, Jarrell Miller, all these other heavyweights that are fighting very soon. I feel like once those fights happen… you’re going to see how things play out,” Parker said.
The key to improvement was discipline and simplicity, said Lockhart.
“Most fighters train for eight weeks and then once the fight is over guess what they do? They go back to eating garbage, doing whatever they do.
“As soon as Joe is over with the fight, he’s back here and training. Simplicity is everything.
“Joe has tangible goals and that’s what builds confidence. We have tangibles for everything and every day he goes up and up.
“He’s able to run longer, lift more weight, he’s heavier, and he’s leaner. So is he better? 100%.”
