New Zealand boxer John Parker has been awarded the WBA Oceania cruiserweight title following a split points decision in a match against Fiji’s Alivereti Kauyaca in Hamilton two weeks ago. The World Boxing Association has upheld the ruling despite a protest from Kauyaca’s manager and trainer, Farmaan Ali, who claimed two judges made errors and called for the decision to be overturned or ruled a “no contest.”
WBA Oceania president Ferlin Marsh consulted three international boxing judges to review the bout. After their assessment, all three judges confirmed Parker’s victory. The scores from the Australian judges were 96-94 from Brad Vocale, 97-93 from Paul Tapley, and 98-92 from Phil Austin.
Marsh expressed his long-standing respect for the independent judges and their evaluations. He noted that while the fight was challenging to judge, Parker consistently won more rounds, even though neither boxer seemed to dominate. Vocale observed that although Kauyaca was active, he often missed the scoring zones, leading to ineffective blows.
Despite not landing as many punches, Parker’s effectiveness and precision gave him the edge in crucial rounds. Vocale acknowledged the close nature of the fight, suggesting that Kauyaca also had his moments despite the final outcome.
Meanwhile, Ali has voiced his disagreement with the judges’ ruling and plans to seek opinions from other boxing judges in the US and Europe. He disputed the claim that Kauyaca’s kidney strikes were ineffective and argued that Parker’s corner had adjusted his guard to protect against them. Ali has expressed his dissatisfaction and intends to further challenge the decision based on feedback from impartial judges.