Joseph Parker wants to send out a defiant message by stopping Dillian Whyte even quicker than Anthony Joshua.
The 26-year-old’s unbeaten record and WBO belt were taken away by Joshua in a points defeat in March, but Parker has returned for Saturday’s heavyweight fight with Whyte.
Whyte also suffered his sole defeat to Joshua, a seventh round knockout loss in 2015, and Parker intends to outshine the unified world champion by producing a more ruthless win over the Brixton fighter.
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“That’s my goal now,” Parker told Sky Sports. “What’s AJ, seven right? I’m going to knock him out earlier and I’m going to say, ‘And what AJ? And what?’
“I think if I knock him out earlier, it will send a statement.”
Promoter David Higgins says Parker can stake his claim for a Wembley rematch against Joshua, but the New Zealander insists victory would not lead to a heated confrontation, if Joshua is watching from ringside.
“I think just let your performance speak itself,” said Parker.
“There’s no point walking over and going, ‘Hey,’ you just look like a desperate guy. Just let it pan out.”