Man "lectures" former world champion on boxing

As an avid boxing fan in Samoa, it is not every day one crosses paths with a former world heavyweight champion - it is even rarer still that you have the opportunity to "lecture" them on the finer points of boxing, before you realise you're talking to Joseph Parker. 

But this is Samoa. World champion athletes with Samoan heritage can fly in unannounced to see family and take a break from the world’s concrete jungles abroad. In the case of Mr Parker, he is in town visiting family.

After a two-day government shutdown, Mr. Nyemah and his family went to the Taumeasina Island Resort and headed for the pool, taking up position next to another family who were already there.

Mr. Nyemah said he started a conversation with the family they sat next to at the poolside.

“I took my children and their nanny out to the pools and tried to get them some playtime as we had been stuck inside the house because of this terrible measles outbreak,” he said.

“So I started up a chat with the family next to us about the measles, while I watched my kids.”

The father of the family soon walked up, whom Mr. Nyemah described as a “tall huge guy” and introduced himself as Joseph.

Mr. Nyemah, noting that they both shared the same first names, posted on Facebook saying: “I told him that I am also Joseph, but you can remember me by thinking about Joseph Parker, the boxer!”

He said his humorous response drew a chuckle from the family’s father.

Mr. Nyemah then discussed boxing with the family’s father, unaware he was talking to the former world heavyweight boxing champion.

“I told him that I just finished watching the [Anthony Joshua] and [Andy Ruiz Jr] fight and that, as a Canadian, I was a huge boxing fan so the conversation just became all about boxing,” he added. 

“He asked me if we had any famous boxers in Canada and I told him that all we play is hockey, and all the big boxers are in Europe and New Zealand, while emphasising Joseph Parker.” 

Their conversation then turned to Ukraine’s famous boxing brothers, Vitali Klitschko and Wladimir Klitschko, who were both former heavyweight boxing world champions.

Mr. Parker told him he met one of the Klitschko brothers before, but the boxing fan still did not twig about the man's connection to boxing circles.

“He told me that he met one of them before. I didn’t think much of it," he recalled.

In their discussion on the Klitschko brothers, Mr .Nyemah said on Facebook: “I told him about how powerful the Klitschko brothers were and that only brave people entered the ring with them. When he then said, ‘I met one of them’. I didn’t know what he was talking about – maybe he saw a Klitschko in a stadium.”

The topic of their conversation then changed to Joseph Parker, as Mr. Nyemah believed his new friend didn't know much about boxing as he did.

“I told the guy, I said ‘why does he pick all these low-level fighters. He shouldn’t be picking them at all," he said. 

The comment drew a stare, and the boxing fanatic went on about how the Kiwi former world champion should be up there – with Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder – after he beat Any Ruiz in December 2016 in Auckland.

“It was here that I sort of looked at this guy’s arms and body and asked him what he does for a living and he said that he was a boxer.”

M.r Nyemah said he jokingly responded saying: “I’m sure I’d beat you because I’m a real boxer. Joseph Parker himself would give you a TKO!”

Having had a long conversation focused on boxing, it dawned on Parker that the boxing fan had no idea who he really was.

According to Mr. Nyemah, he said: “Look man, I’m Joseph Parker!” 

The boxing fan immediately pulled back his sunglasses and realised who he was talking to all this time.

“It was crazy I was lecturing one of my boxing greats Joseph Parker, the former WBO champion about boxing! I gave him a big hug, and I shouted hey It’s Joseph Parker!” he said.

“And he even let me take some photos with him too, and he gave me his cap with his trademark”

Mr. Nyemah said he found the exchange rather amusing and he admires the famous boxer for following along with his conversation without feeling offended. 

“It was so cool he is so humble and he was a family man who like AJ doesn't talk profanity. He is one of those guys who makes me love boxing, and I love watching him fight. He plays the sweet side of boxing.”

Parker held the WBO heavyweight title from 2016 to 2018.