How Portsmouth world champion Mickey Parker hopes his incredible sporting achievement can help others take positive life route

The Leigh Park bare-knuckle boxer added the global BKB cruiserweight prize to the British belt he won last year with a fourth-round stoppage victory over good friend Carl Hobley at the 02 Indigo last weekend.

Certainly, it offers up quite the narrative from Parker making his BKB bow just five years ago in 2017 to where he stands today - scooping both the British and world straps in his division.

But rather than get caught up in his world title win, the Portsmouth product is hoping his journey onto the right road through sport can play a part in helping others from around the city and beyond to take a similar route - and prove the pipedream can be accomplished with the right mindset and attitude.

Parker told The News: ‘More so this time I want to think, if I can change a few young peoples' lives - at the end of the day I didn't start until I was 30 years old - any of this game.

‘Nothing is ever too late, if you're getting in trouble and things like that, never give up on your dreams, that's what I want to get out there to the kids. If I can help one kid, out of all I've done and change one kids' life, I'd be over the moon.

‘It's never, ever too late, I'm living proof of it, I'm sitting here as a world champion now and 10 years ago people would have written me off.

‘I'm living proof, if you've got a dream and you believe in something and believe in yourself enough, then go for it.

‘I just want to give a little bit back, like I had, to some different people out there and by showing it's never too late.’

Parker told how he’s still working through the ‘thousands of messages’ received since his crowning world champion moment.

And he revealed the two key components which helped him transition from unlicensed fighter to top dog in the BKB cruiserweight division.

Parker added: ‘It's crazy. If you'd told me a few years ago this was going to be the scene, I'm going to have a couple of belts near me, I would call you a liar.

‘But strange things happen in this life, we all take strange paths, dedication and hunger has got me to the point where I am today. I'm over the moon.

‘I still haven't got back to the - I think it's thousands of messages on my phone - when you sit down and start to take note of day-to-day life and how many people you're actually affecting by doing what you're doing, it's absolutely crazy. The support that I've had is absolutely phenomenal.’