DUANE Parker will be sharpening his boxing skills in his living room before his next fight.
Parker is on the brink of a title bout after putting together 13 straight wins with his polished, long-range boxing and punishing body attacks.
He has his next fight at the Holiday Inn in Birmingham on Monday, June 13, and manager and matchmaker Errol Johnson expects to finalise Parker’s opponent for the eight-round light-middleweight clash in the next few days.
Parker gets top-class sparring at Johnson’s gym in Wednesbury — and hits the pads at home with father Darren.
Parker snr, who boxed Chris Eubank and swapped punches with world-class fighters Tony Sibson and Chris Pyatt in sparring, has just opened Swadlincote Amateur Boxing Club and the 23-year-old from Woodville said: “Dad still takes me on the pads in the living room! “Mum keeps out of the way and we get cracking. Dad pushes me hard.” Parker jnr also gets good sparring with his kid brother.
Zack Parker is a promising amateur with Burton Amateur Boxing Club and his older brother says the 16-year-old pushes him hard.
“Zack doesn’t want to let his big brother get the better of him,” he said.
Duane Parker also has an elder brother, Lee, who made a big impression as an amateur.
He beat Matthew Macklin, set to challenge for world honours in June, and top domestic contender Martin Concepcion, but was unable to turn professional because of a medical complication.
Both brothers and father Darren should see Duane Parker boxing for a title in the coming months.
Black Country southpaw Jamie Ball currently holds the Midlands Area belt, but looks set to vacate to challenge for English honours, and if that happens, Parker would surely get his chance.
He seems unlikely to meet Ball for the title because they are both managed by Johnson and he would not want to pair two of his unbeaten fighters against each other.
Parker said: “I’m itching for a title fight.
I’m ready to make the step up.”
Jonjo Finnegan, the British Masters super-middleweight champion from Newhall, also boxes on the bill in Birmingham and tickets are available from 07528 449114.
