Veteran Kali Meehan delivered a second cutting jab to rising star Joseph Parker on the eve of their heavyweight boxing clash in Auckland on Thursday night.
A week after telling Fairfax Media that his son Willis could punch harder than Parker, the 45-year-old said New Zealand's brightest prospect had flaws he would look to expose.
Meehan obviously didn't want to give away his fight night tactics but he made no secret there were areas in Parker's game he wants to explore in a bout scheduled for 12 rounds.
The 23-year-old Parker has never been asked to go that deep in his unbeaten 15-fight career dominated by 13 knockouts. Meehan is no stranger to 12-rounders in a pro career that dates back to 1997.
"I look for flaws in my opponents … I've found flaws. If I can capitalise on them remains to be seen but I'll give it my best shot," Meehan, who has 42 wins and five losses, said at the weigh-in.
Meehan has a height and reach advantage and will carry slightly more weight, tipping the scales at 110.6kg to Parker's 107kg.
Meehan also has a dangerous right, a weapon Parker has been susceptible to.
"He has got fast hands, he's a talent on the rise, that's obvious," a big but trim Meehan said, before putting some perspective on this fight.
"It's a stepping stone for Joseph Parker and he has to try and dig through me if he's going to move through to the world stage. I've prepared the best I can and I'll do the best I can to put a stumbling block in his path.
"I've got the experience. But it's no use having the experience if you haven't you haven't got the lungs, so I've made sure I've done the hard work … I've left no stone unturned."
Parker has the pressure on him. Part of his management team is currently in Samoa putting the finishing touches to a January fight deal there which will be confirmed next Friday. He already has a December 5 showdown in Hamilton. Parker can't afford to lose.
Parker brushed off Meehan's taunt and was confident he had done the work in his Las Vegas camp to bolster his defence and complement his deadly attack.
"We have watched tapes of Kali and seen the strengths and weaknesses. We have a game plan to win."
Parker's experienced trainer Kevin Barry also took Meehan's views on the chin.
"There are flaws in everyone's game and Kali hit the nail on the head when he said it's a matter of whether or not he can expose those flaws. Nobody is a perfect fighter and even a guy with great defence … you can make your own problems with their defence," Barry said.
"I'm expecting the experience of Kali Meehan to be a great test for Joe. I don't know if he has every seen anyone as fast as Joseph Parker, but we'll find out."
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