Joseph Parker heading into next fight with extra vigour after advice, encouragement from Tyson Fury

Some words of encouragement from world champion Tyson Fury has Kiwi heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker ready to make a second title run.

Parker, the former WBO champion, was in Las Vegas last weekend to watch as Fury tore apart Deontay Wilder to reclaim the WBC belt and said the British fighter had some advice for him afterwards with his own bout near.

Parker takes Shawndell Winters in Texas on Sunday afternoon NZT - a fight he is heavily expected to win against the 39-year-old.

But Parker told Stuff Fury warned him about getting complacent.

"Tyson's advice to me was not to take this fight lightly, even though people don't know about him [Winters], every fight is a hard fight," Parker said.

"He also said he wants me to go and win the other world titles, so we can both run the division."

The pair of fighters have been friends for years in the division with Parker even going as far as to call Fury an "older brother", so hearing those words of support meant a lot, the Kiwi said.

"The division is on fire at the moment and I see myself at the top, in the top five in the world. I belong there," Parker said.

"The plan is to get a good result on the weekend and make the bigger fights happen. But I believe I'm right up there ... We're ranked at No 2 with the WBO and that's a good starting point to be getting back to the world title."

Parker added that, should he be successful on Sunday, he hopes to get on the fight card for the bout on everyone's minds - a unification clash between Fury and fellow Briton Anthony Joshua.

"If Fury and Joshua fought, if that happens and it should happen, I'd love to fight on that card. I think it would be an awesome experience, good exposure and hopefully a bigger fight.

"Wilder wants the rematch but I feel it would be a similar result. Everyone in boxing wants to see who is No 1.

"I think they should make that bigger fight happen."