Defeat not option for Kiwi heavyweight Joseph Parker against Brit Jack Massey

Kiwi heavyweight Joseph Parker knows all too well what a defeat to the unheralded Brit Jack Massey would mean for his boxing career.

The pair will square off at Manchester Arena on Sunday (NZT) with live coverage to be shown on both Three and ThreeNow.

Newshub reports Parker is aiming to bounce back from his first career knockout loss, after falling to Joe Joyce for the vacant WBO interim heavyweight title last September.

He now has the perfect opportunity to launch himself back into contention with a victory over a division newcomer.

Massey, a career cruiserweight, will make his heavyweight debut against Parker, with a win promising a huge jump in the rankings.

But Parker refuses to let Massey make a name for himself off of his own and believes defeat isn't an option.

"Let's face it, if I lose I will be way down [the standings]. It will be like, 'Where is Joseph Parker?' I'll be out of the picture," he said.

"I'm in great shape. I'm ready to go. When I'm sleeping well and feeling good I am dangerous. I've put in the work, and made the sacrifices because I know what it takes to win."

Standing at 193cm, Parker holds a 5 cm height advantage over Massey, but it's on the scales where he expects to dominate his opponent.

Parker weighed in at 115 kg in his last bout against Joyce, more than 15 kg heavier than the cruiserweight limit.

Massey is expected to close that gap, but will still be far lighter between the two, which Parker intends to take advantage of.

"I'm going to smash him," Parker. "He's got big balls I'll give him that, but there are divisions in boxing for a reason. 

"I'm going to be the bigger man. I'm going to fight like the bigger man, back him up and push him back. I'm going to make him think about if he really wants to be in the heavyweight division."