New Zealand heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker with his parents Sala and Dempsey after defeating Andy Ruiz Jr and claiming the WBO title.

Perched outside a resort lunch with the Samoan Prime Minister, it seems the perfect time for Joseph Parker to pause and reflect. His three-and-a-half year journey has already reaped great rewards, but more importantly seen him grow significantly as a person and boxer.

Parker's venture to Samoa, birth place of parents Sala and Dempsey, made his WBO title success hit home this week. Over the next next month-and-a-half he'll savour time off with family and friends in New Zealand; fishing, the beach and jet skiing on Waiheke Island among activities, before returning to Las Vegas and preparing for this first title defence against either Englishman Hughie Fury, David Price or American Jarrell Miller in April.

Any of those opponents Parker should sweep aside, and then line up a lucrative showdown with former unified cruiserweight and WBA heavyweight champion David Haye. Get through that and the likes of Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder await.

Liam Napier WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker visited the local Samoan villages.

For now it's time to reset. Parker's goal when he turned professional was to become champion. He now wants much more, and makes no secret Joshua is his target.

"Now we've achieved this goal it feels like it's the beginning of big things," Parker said. "This break is important.

"Everyone wants to fight Joshua because it's the big payday. For me it's two hungry young fighters. He's a champion for a reason and now I've got this belt. We all want to unify them. If we follow our plan we'll probably fight him in 12 months if I keep winning."

PHOTOSPORT Joseph Parker celebrates with his family after winning the WBO title.

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Since turning pro in July, 2012, Parker has changed dramatically; his confidence in and out of the ring unrecognisable. Ditto for his ring presence and skill. But at 24 he is far from the finished product. Dropping his hands on defence, not throwing enough combinations and a slow start which cost him the first three, possibly four, rounds against Andy Ruiz are among work-ons for 2017.

Just as he has come out of his shell a person, Parker is now much more aware what works and what doesn't. Before the Ruiz fight he was thrown somewhat by a tactical 30-minute delay that forced Parker to cool down and warm up again after the Mexican did not have his gloves on. Instead of walking to the ring at 10.45pm as scheduled, Parker made his way out at 11.15pm.

He also identified another contributing factor to his initial tentativeness.

"Before the fight there was about 50 people that came in the changing room for meet and greets; shaking hands, photos. I had a word to Duco. When you're trying to stay focused for a fight... hopefully next time it doesn't really happen like that. Also maybe I was a bit worried with Ruiz and his speed and power so maybe I was holding back a bit."

The pre-fight build-up is a balancing act for Duco promoters David Higgins and Dean Lonergan. They used those meet and greets to generate sponsorship; money that goes directly towards covering fight purses. But it's clear tweaks are required.

"Creating a winning environment is paramount; it's everything," Higgins said. "In boxing like no other sport careers can live and die on a win and loss. No-one knows better than Dean Lonergan and I as the financial risk taker how important it is to get the win.

"For anyone to suggest we'd compromise winning for the sake of a few extra bucks they haven't talked to us. If Joe were to bring us a legitimate concern we'd absolutely take it on board and agree parameters. If he doesn't want any visits that's what he'll get but it just means we've got to cut deals a little differently with sponsors."

The magnitude of future fights dictate everything must be aligned. Parker speaks regularly with former All Blacks mental skills specialist Dr Ceri Evans and, now more than ever, also grasps how to be in optimal physical shape.

Essentially, disruptions must be minimised.

On reflection Parker says preparations for Ruiz weren't his best. The day Parker flew out from Vegas for Alexander Dimitrenko he sparred the best 10 rounds he's ever done. On the night that produced a knockout.

"Leaving Vegas for the Ruiz fight we did the same thing and I couldn't even spar 10 rounds. Around seven or eight rounds and then we stopped. The body couldn't do it."

Two-and-a-half weeks into his training camp for Ruiz, Parker jetted out to New Zealand for promotional and negotiation commitments.

"Coming back to Vegas for the last four weeks of training nothing adjusted. For the next fights now I know the disruptions that don't work and the structure of the training camp. I think I have a fair idea now."

With Haye, Joshua, Wilder, Wladimir Klitschko and Parker's first trip to the UK all potentially on the radar, interest will soar but the number of fights decrease next year.

"They want to keep it at five but I think three or four. Learning about my body before this last fight my shoulders were gone; the elbows were sore so we got help with it."

Extra responsibility that comes with being a champion will see accolades and detractors, the likes of Lance Revill and Bob Jones, flow in equal measure. Parker is confident he can handle both.

"One thing I realised is if you can't control it, don't worry about it. Just take in what you want to. Everyone gets criticised it just shows you're doing well. And you can use it as motivation to train harder.

"It's part of boxing; you're always going to get love and hate. For guys like them who have been involved in boxing for such a long time it is pretty sad to see. It only makes them look bad."

Reaching this juncture was a historic achievement. With a few pre-fight adjustments, Parker's boxing odyssey should continue at pace.