Haumono camp threatens legal action
Solomon Haumono’s management are pressing on with their protest over Joseph Parker’s knockout victory, vowing they will take legal action if the fight’s sanctioning body does not declare the bout a no contest and enforce a rematch.
Haumono’s manager Matt Rose also disputed promoter Dean Lonergan’s claims the fight was called off before his fighter sustained serious damage as tension mounted in the aftermath of Parker stretching his unbeaten heavyweight record to 20-0 via his 17th triumph celebrated inside the distance.
Rose said he had supplied the World Boxing Organisation [WBO] with video footage proving that veteran New Zealand referee Bruce McTavish did not complete a 10-count before adjudicating Haumono was not back to his feet in time for the fight to continue.
Haumono was floored by an uppercut in the fourth of 12 scheduled rounds in Christchurch on Thursday night but after the fight the 40-year-old former league star claimed he had been ‘‘robbed of an opportunity’’ to potentially replace the Kiwi as the mandatory challenger for Anthony Joshua’s IBF title.
‘‘We want the fight to be declared a no contest and there has to be a rematch otherwise we’ll go to court,’’ said Rose.
‘‘It was a beautiful punch by Joseph but Sol was definitely ready to continue. We were told it was a 10 count which we disputed at the time. There’s now footage that’s come out that supports our claim,’’ said Rose.
Rose a protest would also be lodged with the World Boxing Council, the organisation which appointed 76-year-old McTavish to control the fight.
‘‘Had we lost fair and square we’d say ‘thank you and good luck’. We just want to be treated with fairness in this situation.’’
‘‘Had we lost fair and square we’d say ‘thank you and good luck’. We just want to be treated with fairness in this situation.’’