You know, in the old days boxing used to be a way more culturally significant sport. There was a time when on any given day if you asked some chap who gonna win the big fight on the weekend, not only would they know what you were talking about but they’d even have a decent answer.

Apart from a few Floyd Mayweather bouts here and there and possibly the odd Mike Tyson event, boxing probably hasn’t been that way since Muhammad Ali and even then most of that nostalgia is fake – informed by movies like Raging Bull and When We Were Kings and bloody Rocky (hey, the new Creed film from last year is outstanding).

But in New Zealand this week there really is a big old fight that’s capturing a bit of attention. Joseph Parker is taking on Andy Ruiz for the WBO heavyweight title and if that belt’s availability is a handy mix of opportunity and luck, so it goes. Boxing is all about being in the right place at the right time, from that thunderous right jab that sneaks through the defences of your opponent to your parents having the foresight not to birth you in the era of Tyson and Holyfield.

To be honest, we kiwis can be pretty fickle about our sports when we get our hopes up so there’s a bit of danger in saying that Parker should win this bout. He’s the better boxer and he’s got that home advantage but he’s not that much better. It’s a tight clash of similar styles and should add up to a really entertaining fight – albeit one which might not pack the power some are expecting, though you never really know. If 100 people out of 100 say that Parker will win by a close decision, people take that as reason to expect a comprehensive win because everyone predicted it. It’s a trick of perception.

So take a Nichey lesson here and don’t get carried away. Andy Ruiz is also undefeated. He’s entering this bout with plenty of confidence and he’s looking to become the first Mexican heavyweight to win a world title… just as Parker is trying to do for New Zealand. He may be the underdog but Ruiz has sparred with Parker in the past a few times and he’s in the best shape of his career, losing 15+ kgs for this bout according to his camp. Here he is talking to ESPN about the Parker rivalry:

“I think he underestimated me. I was chubby and fat, but he didn't see the speed and punch I had. He knows what I got and I know what he has got. We're both going to try our best. We're cool. I don't have anything bad to say about him. He's a good guy, very humble, but inside the ring it's all business when we have to turn our switch on and we have to fight each other and try to kill each other to get the world title. May the best man win.”

Joseph Parker seems to have this reputation in NZ as a devastating puncher but that apparent power is skewed by some of the punching bags he’s fought in the past. At the top level we’ll probably see that power disappear and his hand speed and footwork will be what he relies upon. Ruiz is similar. He’s got knockout power but it’s his sleight of hand – unexpected for a dude his size – that really sets him apart. Bob Arum (his promoter) reckons he has the fastest hands in the division.

That’s not a crazy statement. Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder, belt holders, are KO artists. Wladimir Klitschko is a technical master with a bit of strength but not the fastest, not now as he passes 40 years of age. Who else is on that list? Luis Ortiz is a bruiser. Kubrat Pulev? Alexander Povetkin? To be honest, the closest challenger in speed might be Joseph Parker – which is another reason why this is emerging as a tastier matchup than we first realised.

Keep in mind that Ruiz got to where he is without the best conditioning. For this fight he’s united with Abel Sanchez who is one of the top trainers out there – most famous these days for his work with Gennady Golovkin, though once upon a time he took charge of a young heavyweight contender named David Tua. Three and a half months with Sanchez and we’re talking about 15kgs of weight loss.

Except… that’s a little dangerous. 15 kilos is no small matter, this is a sport where balance and poise and movement are so important and he’s now working without the combined weight of a small child on his shoulders. Sure, that should make him more nimble on his feet but it could also affect his ability to take a punch and his centre of gravity. He’s a different body shape now, that’s something to watch out for – it’s not like he’s had a couple lead-in fights at this weight either, it’s all been sparring and gym work.

Because of each fighter’s style and durability, it’s not as likely we see a knockout here. More likely we get ourselves a decision after 12 long rounds and they will be long too – these aren’t fighters that are gonna play defensive. There’ll be precious little of the Mayweather ducking and weaving and clutching and holding. Look for lots of punches, which is gonna make physical conditioning even more crucial than it already is (go hit a punching bag for 36 minutes continually with only brief breaks and then imagine doing that again with the bag punching back – it’s insanely tough).

Also of note is that Ruiz’s team insisted on three completely neutral judges, so there’ll be no representation there from New Zealand or Mexico, nor from Australia or America just to be safe. The referee will be American Tony Weeks, who took Klitschko vs Fury and has a reputation among the best in the business.

On previous form, you’d imagine Parker gets a few more blows in and goes the distance with a little more in the tank. There’s a reasonable chance that the new and improved Ruiz catches Parker and the team off-guard and he cops a complacent decision loss but Joe is the better all-round fighter and he enters the favourite. Look, one way or another a nation is about to gain their first ever heavyweight champion.

This is exciting. Not only for Kiwi/Mexican boxing fans either but for the heavyweight division overall. This bout begins a 24 hour period in which a division which has been left in utter chaos by Tyson Fury’s situation (and ten years of predictable Klitschko-ing before that) will finally begin cleaning itself up. First it’s Parker and Ruiz for the vacant WBO title. The next morning in NZ time, Luiz Ortiz will presumably annihilate Dave Allen as he continues his career resurrection with Matchroom Sport followed by a cheeky bout between Dillian Whyte and Dereck Chisora.

Neither of the latter are genuine superstars but each has challenger potential about them. Whyte is one of only two men so far to take Anthony Joshua into a seventh round (the other being Dominic Breazeale in June) while Chisora has fought (and lost to) the likes of Vitali Klitschko, Tyson Fury, David Haye and Kubrat Pulev in the past. Whyte vs Chisora is also a WBC eliminator clash, both that one and the Ortiz fight take place on the undercard of Joshua vs Eric Molina. AJ looking there to defend his IBF belt for a second time and he should do so with another KO if all things go as planned.

Then a week later you’ve got Alexander Povetkin taking on Bermane Stiverne for the interim WBC title, shaping for Povetkin (as the probable winner) to be Deontay Wilder’s next challenger when the American returns from his broken hand next year – possibly after a go against the winner of Whyte-Chisora. Oh and no biggie here but if Joshua wins on the weekend, he’ll be fighting Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley in April.

Heavyweight boxing hasn’t been this interesting for a decade and the bell for the new era rings on Saturday night at Vector Arena. Well alrighty then.