Home Boxing News Joseph Parker’s team call for fair officiating ahead of Dillian Whyte bout

Joseph Parker’s team call for fair officiating ahead of Dillian Whyte bout

Joseph Parker vs Yakup Saglam

Joseph Parker’s trainer Kevin Barry has called for a fair referee to adjudicate the former WBO heavyweight champion’s crossroads bout against leading heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte at London’s O2 Arena on July 28.

In his heavyweight unification bout against Anthony Joshua last March, Parker was prevented from fighting on the inside by overly officious Italian referee Giuseppe Quartarone.

It is a situation Barry wants to avoid against Whyte 23-1 (17).

“All we want is a fair referee,” Barry told Sky Sports. “We want one of the best referees that BBBofC can offer.

“I think we’ve been pretty hard done by in our first two previous fights here in the UK by the referee, so this time I would like to think they will give us a classy guy. Someone who won’t be an interference for the fight, someone who will let the fight go.

“I’ll tell you what, there are plenty of good British referees. Let’s just choose one of them.”

Parker was less concerned.

“I believe my team will take care of it,” Parker told Sky Sports News. “I always trust my team and I think from the last fight, and the experience we had with that, they will definitely correct it.”

General Secretary of the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) Robert Smith is currently in the process of appointing officials for the fight.

In his last bout Parker became the first man to extend IBF, WBA and WBO champion Joshua 21-0 (20) the full distance, but lost his WBO title in the process. The 26-year-old Kiwi is keen to get back in the winner’s circle, starting with Whyte, who is coming off a dominant sixth round knockout of Australian Lucas Browne.

“I’m going to rumble, let’s get it on,” said Parker, 24-1 (18). “We’ll get face to face, I’ll test him out, and I’ll see what he’s about. I’m ready to throw hands.”