Parker warns Wardley: 'I'm going to smash you'

Joseph Parker v Fabio Wardley

Venue: O2 Arena, London Date: Saturday, 25 October

Coverage: Follow live text commentary and listen on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra, BBC Sounds, BBC Sport website and app from 20:30 BST before switching to BBC Radio 5 Live from 22:00.

Joseph Parker warned Briton Fabio Wardley about "levels" as he vowed to "smash him" in Saturday's heavyweight battle at London's O2 Arena.

The contest for Parker's WBO 'interim' belt is billed as 'All or Nothing', with the winner expected to face undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk next.

And the New Zealander, 33, is confident he will end Wardley's 20-fight unbeaten record.

"I've got many miles on the clock and I've got many more to bring," said former world champion Parker at Thursday's news conference.

"I'm only getting into my prime now. Credit to Wardley for taking this fight, but it's the wrong time to be taking this fight because I'm going to smash him."

Parker is currently the WBO's number one contender and next in line to face Ukrainian Usyk, but has agreed to take on the 30-year-old Wardley, risking his mandatory position in pursuit of another statement success.

The Auckland-born fighter has lost three of his 39 professional bouts - to Britons Anthony Joshua, Dillian Whyte and Joe Joyce - but appears revitalised under trainer Andy Lee.

Recent wins over Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole have re-established Parker among the heavyweight division's elite.

"I'm a different level, to be honest, and I'll show it on Saturday," added Parker, who held the full WBO world title between 2016 and 2018.

Asked to explain what he meant by "levels", he said: "You'll see. I don't want to explain with words, I'll explain with actions on Saturday night."

Ipswich fighter Wardley's rise through the heavyweight ranks has been nothing short of remarkable.

Having only taken up boxing aged 20, he began in the unlicensed white-collar scene before turning professional.

In response to Parker's comments, Wardley remained unfazed.

"For me it's nothing new. I relish the challenge," he added. "I look forward to stepping up. Proving people wrong, proving doubters wrong, and that I belong very much at this top level."

Having shown his quality at domestic level with notable victories over David Adeleye and Frazer Clarke, Wardley produced a stunning one-punch 10th-round knockout of Australian Justis Huni in in June - despite trailing on the scorecards at the time.

But he believes his knockout record - 18 of them in 19 wins and one draw - sometimes overshadows his technical ability.

"Just because my record is littered with highlight-reel knockouts, I think people get distracted by that and take away my actual boxing skills which set up those punches or brought me to those moments," said Wardley.

"If you think I'll be running around that ring with my right hand ready to go, then there's a lot more you and the team will need to prepare for."

As the news conference drew to a close, Parker repeated his earlier statement when asked for a final message for Wardley.

"I'm going to smash you," he added, although there was little real animosity between the pair despite the fiery words as they ended the obligatory face-off with smiles and a handshake.