By Chris Barclay

Kevin Barry enunciated two ominous words when he previewed Joseph Parker's fight with Solomon Haumono and they were 'Alex Leapai', not 'knockout victory'.

Expectations of Parker protecting his status as mandatory challenger for Anthony Joshua's IBF heavyweight title without raising a sweat in Christchurch on Thursday were dealt a reality when the 24-year-old had a friendly face off with Solomon Haumono ahead of their main event at Horncastle Arena.

Parker is rated an unbackable $1.01 favourite to extend his unbeaten professional record against the former league star now ranked 11th on the WBA rankings, though as his trainer pointed out on Tuesday: the odds can be beat, the outcome confound.

Barry cited Leapai's unexpected tilt at Wladimir Klitschko's four heavyweight belts in Oberhausen, Germany, in April, 2014, five months after the Samoan-born Australian beat Russian Denis Boytsov on points to become the WBO Asia Pacific heavyweight champion - and most importantly, the right to challenge the legendary Ukrainian.

Solomon Haumono and Joseph Parker meet for the first time in Christchurch ahead of their heavyweight bout on Thursday.

Inspired by fellow Samoan David Tua, the Auckland-raised Leapai dared to dream, and although there was no fairytale ending - he landed just 10 punches before Klitschko won by TKO in the 5th - at least he was a contender.

"In December 2013 there was a 35-year-old Polynesian fighter whose record was 29-4-3," said Barry.

"His name was Alex Leapai. He went to Germany and he fought a guy, Denis Boystov, a Russian fighter who was 33 and 0, 33 and 0.

Wladimir Klitschko and Alex Leapai shake hands during the official weigh in ahead of their unexpected heavyweight title fight in 2014.

"Alex Leapai beat Denis Boystov and took the mandatory off him and four months later fought Wladimir Klitschko for the world title."

Haumono [24-2-2] now finds himself in a similar situation to Leapai, the 40-year-old has been given no hope against Parker, hence Barry's cautionary tale.

"We're taking this fight against Solomon Haumono very, very seriously. This is not a keep busy fight, this is a fight that means a lot to us and a fight we've prepared very, very well for."

Predictably there was no fighting talk at the pre-fight press conference, no mutual antagonism though Haumono did vow he would put on a more convincing display than his previous fight against rotund Argentinian Manuel Alberto Pucheta.

Haumono, 40, laboured for six mundane rounds and was frequently mocked by Pucheta, before he recorded the least impressive of his knockout blows.

"People like to comment on my last fight, you know why things didn't go how they expected.

"My frame of mind and my team behind me were different," he said.

"I feel there can't be any better place than where I am now."

Realising the significance of the fight, Haumono linked with trainer and former heavyweight Justin Fortune in Los Angeles, spending a month at the Australian's gym where he racked up more than 60 rounds of sparring with two Russians from Klitschko's camp.

Although that is a short timeframe to build a working relationship, Fortune believed it was beneficial.

"I've tried to give him a little extra to stop him from being such a neanderthal. He just walks up and starts clobbering people. That's what he was, it doesn't work at this level, it doesn't work period."

Fortune said Haumono had been on task since he arrived in LA: "He's a natural athlete, he picks it up pretty quick. I tell him once, twice, bang.

"There's no doubt in his mind. He's as confident as he can be."

He acknowledged Parker would also be in a good head space, though hoped his relative inexperience, and perhaps complacency, might work in Haumono's favour.

"He's had 19 fights, he's learning, he's 24. There's a few weaknesses there, you've just got to be able to exploit them," he said.

Meanwhile, the six-bout event is heading for a sellout with less than 100 seats still available at the 5000-capacity venue on Tuesday afternoon.