By Duncan Johnstone

New Zealand heavyweight Joseph Parker is battling an elbow issue he believes reduced his power to 75 percent for his win over Carlos Takam.

Parker revealed the problem as he surfaced publicly for the first time since his draining 12 round unanimous points win in south Auckland last Saturday night that has moved him into the mandatory challenger's position for a shot at Anthony Joshua's IBF world title.

Parker now faces a quick turnaround - just 62 days - with a July 21 fight in Christchurch against Australian Solomon Haumono confirmed on Tuesday.

Parker made it clear he likes to keep busy and feels it brings the best out of him.

"I think it's just over time really ... all the hard work we have been doing smashing the bag. It was sore the last fight (against Jason Bergman in Samoa in January) and and sore again this fight," Parker said of his elbow issue, adding he didn't want to be seen to be making excuses.

But he conceded his trademark power could have been down 25 percent.

Parker couldn't find the knockout blow to finish Takam and had to rely on his ring craft and double-jab to see him home over the final few rounds, winning the nod from all three judges.

Parker had the longest camp of his career ahead of the Takam fight, working 12 weeks in Las Vegas, because of the importance of the occasion and the need for extra fitness. Most of his previous camps have been around eight weeks.

Trainer Kevin Barry conceded the last camp was too long and Parker agreed: "I prefer shorter camps, they are better for my body."

Time dictates a shorter camp for the Haumono fight. Parker heads to Dubai on Wednesday for the start of a welcome two-week holiday. He will then have a five-week training camp in Las Vegas, the first week spent "turning the motor over" followed by four weeks of sparring.

Despite his elbow problem and "a few injuries here and there" Parker said he was ready to "step up" again.

"I think a bit of time off now will be important just to clear the head and heal the body. I will have to get it (the elbow problem) taken care of and get the right things done to it."

He said his tough tangle with Takam hadn't taken too much out of him in other areas.

"I don't feel sore, I feel pretty good," he said, despite the pounding he took at times from the dogged Paris-based Cameroon fighter.

He welcomed the challenge of Haumono who, despite his age of 40 and a boxing career coming on the back of a lengthy rugby league career in the NRL, possessed knockout power.

"I've watched a few of his fights and the power he presents is pretty dangerous," Parker said.

Parker is fully aware of the risks involved. If he loses to Haumono, he loses his mandatory position.

"Every fight now is important. If we lose one fight, we lose everything we have fought for and drop all the way back.

"Going into every fight we have to be as prepared as we can be and take it seriously."

Parker said he had watched a replay of his win over Takam once and the reward of the important win "had sunk in now".

He conceded he made mistakes defensively, the dropping of his hands being a major issue, and he was determined to fix them, saying it had been a great learning experience.

"A lot of mistakes ... mistakes that I didn't make in camp. But I guess that comes with the pressure that the other fighter put on and maybe the bigger occasion. I have to just keep practising and working on those mistakes."

But he felt his movement was good and that he had managed to land some punches "quite well".

Importantly, he landed enough scoring punches to take the victory.