When Joseph Parker became world champion, four weeks before his 25th birthday, he could not have imagined what would follow: neither the floor falling out from beneath him, 18 months into his title reign, nor that he would spend six years in the void below.
On Saturday, as he challenges IBF champion Daniel Dubois, Parker will finally fight for a world title again.
“I have to up my game for Daniel,” Parker says, “because when you compare Daniel’s output to Zhang and Deontay, his is a lot higher.
Even as Parker strung together five victories, including back-to-back wins over Derek Chisora, the platform he once stood upon was just coming back into view – still floating tantalisingly above him.
There were moments against Zhang, who twice dropped the Kiwi, when it seemed all of Parker’s progress would prove futile.
