The president of the World Boxing Association (WBA) Oceania, Ferlin Marsh, has confirmed an ongoing review of the fight footage from last week’s bout between New Zealand’s John Parker and Fiji’s Alivereti Kauyaca, which took place in Hamilton.
In an email response to RNZ Pacific, Marsh mentioned that he has engaged four international boxing judges to analyze the footage and provide their opinions following a formal complaint from Kauyaca’s trainer and manager, Farmaan Ali.
Ali’s complaint calls for a “no contest” declaration and requests a rematch for Kauyaca after Parker was awarded the victory by split decision. Two judges ruled in favor of Parker, allowing him to claim the WBA Oceania cruiserweight title, while one judge scored the match for Kauyaca.
Marsh acknowledged receipt of Ali’s complaint regarding the decision from the fight held at Glowbox Arena. He stressed that the WBA Oceania does not take lightly to accusations of being “robbed” in title fights, prompting him to ask Ali for a copy of the fight for further analysis.
After reviewing the footage himself, Marsh has sought additional assessments from the international judges. One judge has already submitted their score, while the others are expected to provide theirs by the end of the week.
Acknowledging the contentious nature of boxing, Marsh stated that in closely contested matches, discontent is often inevitable unless a clear knockout occurs.
Ali criticized the decisions made by judges Arden Fatu and Joshua Niyka, alleging that they were biased towards Parker due to the event’s location. He described the outcome as “totally” unjust and expressed confusion over the WBA’s choice of judges for this fight.
As of now, Parker’s team has not responded to inquiries regarding the situation.