Solomon Haumono

In the end, it took Parker just four rounds to land the winning blow.

After the fight, Parker said he knew straightaway he was in the ring with a motivated opponent.

"He came and gave it everything he had...he chased me around the ring and tried to land his big shot...I'm confident in what I can do in the ring.

"One piece of advice that Kev [trainer Kevin Barry] gave me in the beginning, when we first started, was in every fight, just stay calm, stay calm under pressure and when you stay calm the shots will come."

Parker steps in the ring against former NRL star Solomon Haumono in Christchurch tonight, knowing a defeat will derail his shot at a world title.

In May, the 24-year-old Aucklander beat Cameroonian Carlos Takam by unanimous decision, a result that took his record to 19-0 (with 16KOs) and made him the mandatory challenger to Englishman Anthony Joshua's IBF belt.

Australian newspaper The Daily Telegraph reports that Haumono and Parker have been negotiating the multimillion fight through their respective camps for months, and are now close to finalising a deal with an announcement potentially coming within days.

The fight would likely take place in New Zealand, and the winner would get an IBF title bout against Britain's world champion Anthony Joshua.