- Joseph Parker eats raw fish out of a bucket
- Boxer says it’s a great source of protein
- Some fight fans put off by graphic video
New Zealand boxing icon Joseph Parker has shocked fans by posting a stomach-churning video of himself eating a freshly caught fish by ripping into it with his teeth.
Parker, 32, has turned his career around in recent years by beating elite opponents like Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang.
The former champ credits part of his resurgence to his strict training and diet – but fight fans weren’t prepared for a clip he posted to social media recently.
In the footage, Parker can be seen sitting on a dock with a bloody bucket in front of him while he uses his teeth to tear apart a freshly caught fish.
The former heavyweight champ says raw fish is one of his favourite foods – and has credited his strict diet with playing a role in his recent good form
Parker rips the animal apart with his mouth before dunking it into the bucket and then eating some of it.
‘This guy isn’t well,’ commented one fan.
‘He’ll be sick later on,’ replied another.
‘No, thanks,’ posted a third.
Parker, who has Polynesian heritage, later explained that eating raw fish is a healthy habit and that tearing a fish apart with your teeth is how ‘we used to do it back in the day’.
‘I do it on a daily basis,’ he said while being interviewed with Aussie-Samoan former world champion Jai Opetaia.
‘Protein. If you want proper protein… fresh!’
A traditional Samoan dish called Oka involves the use of raw fish, but Opetaia wasn’t too sure about Parker’s method of preparation.
Parker – pictured tearing the freshly caught animal apart with his teeth – says he devours raw fish on a daily basis because it’s a great source of protein
Parker (pictured with fellow heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury) is currently in some of the best form of his life, winning his last six fights
‘It’s called Oka,’ said Opetaia. ‘It’s prepared raw fish.
‘I don’t know about this whole grabbing the fish out of the sea.’
Since teaming up with nutritionist George Lockhart, Parker has adopted a strict diet of fruit, vegetables and lean meat.
Parker’s favourite food is raw fish and Lockhart has been surprised by how much the Kiwi can put away.
‘Even though Sunday is a day off, we load up for Monday because Monday is a heavy day,’ Lockhart said during one of Parker’s training camps in Ireland.
‘We go to this sushi place [in Dublin] and he’ll eat like 40 pieces of sushi. There’s pictures of them bringing out these massive boats!
‘Every time we go to that place, people are like, “This is for four people”, and Joe downs it like nothing!’
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