Videos by Ryan Burton

Solomon Haumono's trainer, the man who guided Manny Pacquiao to the top of the fight game, believes the former league player has as much punching power as legendary heavyweight George Foreman.

Haumono will have legendary trainer Justin Fortune in his corner for the trans-Tasman bout against Kiwi heavyweight and world No.1 Joseph Parker in Christchurch next Thursday.

Fortune, himself a former heavyweight who took on Lennox Lewis in his pomp, has felt the power of some of the fight game's biggest hitters during his career in and out of the ring. Having worked with Haumono for the past six weeks, he believes the former Sea Eagles, Bulldogs, Tigers and Dragons forward has as much power as Foreman or the late WBO titleholder Tommy Morrison, who appeared in the Sylvester Stallone movie Rocky V.

"He's up there man,  he's f***ing strong," Fortune said at a media event at The Star casino in Sydney on Friday.

Joseph Parker is set to fight Solomon Haumono in Christchurch next Thursday.

"I sparred Morrison and Foreman, all of those guys, and he's up there with that, he's got that sort of strength. They're just big punches."

Haumono's power is undeniable, but it's his reluctance to unleash it that has held back his career. As far back as 2002, not long after switching from league to fighting, Haumono considered switching back, saying: "I don't want to hurt people anymore."

He has at times displayed the devastating power Fortune was alluding to, as evidenced by the fact that 21 of his 24 wins have come via knockout. However, he laboured against his last opponent, Manual Alberto Pucheta, knocking him out in six rounds when a stoppage should have come much earlier.