Joseph Parker caught up with The Morning Rumble ahead of his upcoming fight, and as always, he was in good spirits - calm, smiling, and locked in.

Quiet confidence has always been Joe’s way, and his upcoming fight against Fabio Wardley is no different. You can tell the respect is there, but so is the competitive fire.

“He’s a nice guy,” Parker says. “But I do want to punch him in the face, because he thinks he can take what’s mine.”

Parker acknowledges Fabio’s rise through the ranks has been impressive - the white-collar background, the highlight-reel knockouts - but he’s quick to remind everyone that experience still counts for something.

“You know what I love about this fight?” he said. “I love that he’s young, and he also believes in himself and he’s got a goal of being champion of the world. And I’m in his way. But listen, he is in my way for sure… I’ve been in the game for a long time.”

In his recent run, Parker has defeated high-profile heavyweights such as Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang. Now, he says this has been the best camp yet. 

“Hand on heart, this has been the best camp,” he says. “I’m coming into fight week fresh, no injuries. Andy and I just had the best week of training we’ve ever done together in four years.”

At 32, Parker reckons he’s only just hitting his prime: “I feel like I’m only coming into my prime now, and I’m enjoying what I’m doing...”

“...I know he’s got a big right hand. I know he’s coming prepared and ready. He’s got a great team behind him. But I just want to put a pause on and just say, brother, this is not your time yet.”

And, of course, no Joseph Parker chat would be complete without something random and epic. The Rumble veered into a discussion about Oasis, yes, the band, after Bryce caught wind of the possibility of landing an Oasis interview.

Joe apparently knows a guy, Robert, who has a connection with the band.

“He got us backstage passes to the last concert in Manchester. I’m messaging him now. I’m saying, please, I will love you forever if you can get this interview for Bryce. He’s a good guy, and I want him to meet [Oasis] when he’s in Australia, so I’m trying to get that on now.”

Classic Joe Parker - between training sessions and fight prep, still making time to help a mate out.

Fight night’s coming, and while Fabio Wardley will be bringing youth and power, Joseph Parker’s bringing experience, composure, and that unmistakable Kiwi steel.

The fight goes down on Sunday morning (October 26) in NZ. You can catch all the action live on DAZN Pay-Per-View, with the broadcast starting at 10.30am.