The World Boxing Association (WBA) Oceania president, Ferlin Marsh, has announced that they are examining video footage of the recent match between New Zealand’s John Parker and Fiji’s Alivereti Kauyaca, which took place in Hamilton.
In an email response to RNZ Pacific, Marsh stated that he has enlisted the help of four international boxing judges to review the footage and provide their assessments following a complaint from Kauyaca’s trainer and manager, Farmaan Ali.
Ali has formally requested a declaration of ‘no contest’ and is seeking a rematch for Kauyaca, disputing the split-point decision that favored Parker. The judges awarded the fight to Parker, declaring him the WBA Oceania cruiserweight titleholder, while one judge scored it in favor of Kauyaca.
“I acknowledge the complaint from Mr. Ali regarding the fight decision between John Parker (NZ) and Alivereti Kauyaca (Fiji), which occurred last Saturday at the Glowbox Arena in Hamilton,” Marsh noted.
He emphasized that WBA Oceania does not tolerate the term “robbed” in title fight discussions and requested that Ali provide him with a copy of the fight for review.
After reviewing the footage, Marsh took swift action by asking four international judges for their scores; one has already responded, with the others expected to provide their evaluations by the end of the week.
Marsh remarked on the contentious nature of boxing, stating that close fights often lead to dissatisfaction. “Unless there’s a clear knockout (KO), there will always be someone unhappy with the outcome,” he added.
Ali has criticized the judges who scored the fight in favor of Parker, suggesting that their decision was influenced by the local setting. He described the ruling as “totally” biased, stating that it has left many confused about the decision.
John Parker’s team has yet to respond to inquiries regarding the match.