Ferlin Marsh, the president of the World Boxing Association (WBA) Oceania, has announced that they are currently reviewing video footage of the recent fight 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 examine the footage and provide their insights following a complaint from Kauyaca’s trainer and manager, Farmaan Ali.
Ali has formally requested that the WBA Oceania designate the match as a ‘no contest’ and called for a rematch, disputing the split decision that favored Parker. Two judges awarded the fight to Parker, resulting in him winning the WBA Oceania cruiserweight title, while one judge scored the bout in favor of Kauyaca.
Marsh confirmed that he received the complaint from Ali regarding the fight held at the Glowbox Arena in Hamilton. He acted promptly upon receiving the complaint and initiated a review of the fight. Marsh emphasized that the WBA Oceania does not accept the term “robbed” in any title fight context, which is why he requested a copy of the fight for further analysis.
Following his review, Marsh decided to consult additional judges and has begun receiving their scores, with one judge already responding. He noted that boxing often breeds controversy and that close contests typically lead to dissatisfaction among one party involved.
Ali has accused the judges who favored Parker—Arden Fatu and Joshua Niyka—of making a “hometown decision” against Kauyaca, asserting that the ruling was “totally” biased and leaving observers confused by the outcome. He also questioned the WBA’s choice of judges for the bout.
As of now, John Parker’s team has not commented on the situation.