Joseph Parker opens up on challenging family life after...

JOSEPH PARKER’S entire family is fuelling his bid to become the Daddy of boxing — and a two-time heavyweight world champion. The Kiwi, 33, ditched his usual Home Alone training regime for a camp with pregnant wife Laine and his five children in the Saudi Arabian desert.

Image Credit: The Sun [Joseph Parker training for a boxing match.]

Parker was due to face Daniel Dubois on Saturday before Britain’s IBF heavyweight champ was taken sick in Riyadh. Saudi chiefs last night desperately drafted in 6ft 6in Scottish-based Congolese fighter Martin Bakole, 33, as a replacement for a non- title clash after Dubois was KO’d by a doctor.

Image Credit: The Sun [Joseph Parker celebrates his victory in a heavyweight boxing match.]

But Parker, on a thrilling resurgence since losing his WBO crown to Anthony Joshua in 2018, declared: “I’ve put in all the hard work and I’m ready to go.”. Parker’s dedication to his sport meant MISSING the births of all of his girls, while he spent Christmas Day at Tyson Fury’s house when he otherwise have been all alone with a plastic tree.

So this time, he has swapped the solitude of his last nine training camps in Morecambe for get-togethers with Laine, their four daughters and son during his four-week build-up to this fight. Parker beamed: “I got to see my family every day for four weeks after training.

“That gives me strength. Other fighters have to tuck themselves away, be away from their family, but I feel better having them around. “Boxing is only here for a while but your family is here forever. I don’t want to miss out on them growing up and seeing them every day.

CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS. “I had a house with my training team and had my family in another house, six minutes up the road. “I had two or three hours every evening with them after a hard day’s training. “It’s important to get the balance but also the rest. You can’t rest when the kids are running around.

“The kids are eight, six, five, two, ten months — and one on the way. I love training and pushing my body to different levels and then being able to relax with the family. “I love being around the chaos — it’s relaxing being around that chaos.”.

But Parker has no plans to top pal Fury’s current brood of seven. He explained “My wife got us a home-schooling exemption so the kids could travel with us. “My wife is teaching them — she’s a superwoman, it’s crazy. Being a parent is harder than boxing. Boxing is hard but you train, get the best food, best rest and you’re in shape.