“That’s One Way to Get Worms”: Fans Disgusted After Watching Joseph Parker Eat Raw Fish

How far will a boxer go to stay on top of his game? Apparently, eating raw fish from the ocean is on the table! The Samoan heavyweight Joseph Parker is coming off a couple of breakthrough wins against Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang, seemingly on the grind for his next showdown. However, he might just have gone a step too far with this one!

Eating raw eggs isn’t unheard of among athletes to retain maximum protein even though a cooked egg contains the same amount. But fish! That’s a new one! Parker seems to have thrown all the health risks out of the window, as he decided to munch on some raw fish in a video shared on social media by Boxing Kingdom. 

Is raw fish safe to eat?

As Parker’s last two opponents are about to enter the ring for an epic skirmish, Boxing Kingdom shared the clip in question of Parker eating the fish, captioning the post, “Video of Samoan Heavyweight contender Joseph Parker eating raw fish to get extra protein during training camp.” First of all, it’s not like Parker is the first one who ate raw fish, the Japanese have been chowing down on sushi since forever.

Sushi, with its raw fish, has definitely become a thing in the West too. But here’s the deal: the fish in sushi joints is usually kept super cold to zap any bacteria. Parker, though, seems to be diving into a fresh catch, which ups the chances of running into nasties like Listeria, Vibrio, Clostridium, and Salmonella.

Despite the obvious risks to his health, Parker’s choices are ultimately his own. However, witnessing him devour raw fish with abandon left fans visibly repulsed.

Joseph Parker asked to cook his fish!

Being an island nation, seafood is imbued in the very fabric of their culture and their ancestors have been enjoying such delicacies for decades. But that did not help Parker when users from across the globe watched the clip. One user highlighted Parker could have gotten the same amount of protein had he cooked the fish. It’s worth mentioning cooking the fish doesn’t take away the protein it contains, rather it makes it easier for one’s digestive system to process. 

Someone else recalled the Rocky movie, where the protagonist drinks an entire glass of raw egg in the morning, suggesting the raw fish trend might not take off as much. In fact, even drinking raw eggs isn’t necessary to get protein—a cooked egg can get the job done as well. 

Another user humorously likened Parker’s fish consumption to someone casually nibbling on raw corn, unaware of the vast difference in safety between the two foods.

Even the following user seemed repulsed by the idea, as he suggested some boiled eggs could have gotten the job done as well. However, it seems Parker is hellbent on saving those extra minutes to dedicate in his training. 

The next user seemed certain that Parker would inevitably suffer from worms or parasites after his unconventional meal. However, Parker’s apparent familiarity with such dining habits suggests he might be more knowledgeable about the risks involved than initially presumed.

As far as meals are concerned, all power to Joseph Parker—whatever gets him in the ring in tiptop shape. However, his raw fish dining habits will haunt most people, which is apparent from the comments. What did you think of the clip? Would you ever try raw fish?