Parker ‘left black mark on boxing’
Alexander Flores’ camp launched a fresh attack at Joseph Parker’s ‘‘low blows’’ during their December prize fight and accused New Zealand’s Professional Boxing Council of inexperience.
Keith Veltre, chief executive and cofounder of the Las Vegas-based Roy Jones Jr Boxing organisation which handles Flores, made the allegations – published on Fightnews.com – yesterday.
Flores – knocked out by Parker in the third round in Christchurch – also said he felt Parker’s actions were ‘‘pre-meditated’’ and had ‘‘left a black mark on boxing’’.
Veltre said while his camp were excited for Flores to get a chance to fight the former world champion, ‘‘we are equally disappointed with Parker’s dirty antics’’.
‘‘It was clear that the referee [New Zealander John Conway] not only favoured Parker, but he also lacked enough knowledge to be officiating in the ring. Cleary, though, the New Zealand commission is just as inexperienced with high-calibre fights like this.
‘‘If it wants to continue pursuing larger fights, then I would suggest it makes sure there is an equal playing field in New Zealand for all foreign fighters.’’
Parker claimed after the fight that any low blows were ‘‘unintentional, but I knew there was a few’’.
‘‘But he didn’t get knocked out with a body shot.’’
Barry’s trainer, Kevin Barry, also insisted at the time that he would challenge anyone who held the opinion that the low blows contributed to Parker’s muchneeded victory.
‘‘He didn’t knock him out with a low blow, he knocked him out with a right hand on the chin and spun his eyes in the back of his head and he was down for about two minutes with his eye split open.’’
Flores, however, said in the report that he felt the blows were ‘‘pre-meditated’’.
‘‘Coming into this fight, I was excited and prepared for the opportunity to fight Joseph Parker. My vision of how it would play out was nothing that I could have ever expected.
‘‘I heard Joe speaking in pre-fight interviews about hitting me in the balls or using his elbows, but I really thought he was talking about his experience with Dillian Whyte, and I never expected him to use those tactics with me. I have never been a dirty fighter, so, in my training for this fight, getting hit in the groin area or getting his forearm in my face was not something that ever crossed my mind.
‘‘After reading articles it is clear to me that this was premeditated. When the fight started, the referee clearly stated that we were at belt-line and anything below that would be considered low. I noticed early on that he was hitting me low and I tried to get the referee’s attention.
‘‘I don’t remember the exact number, but it was consistent whenever we would get inside and exchange.’’
Flores said he had ‘‘never been hit in the groin like that’’ and he had been left ‘‘with an evident welt’’.
‘‘After the referee warned him in the corner, it was already after I had been the beneficiary of several low blows . . . Even after the blatant low blow that knocked me down, I was shocked that the ref did not see it. This should have amounted to a disqualification, or point deduction, and time for me to recover.’’
Flores added: ‘‘Looking back, I could have never imagined that he would resort to these tactics to win the fight, and I believe this left a black mark on the sport of boxing. I was knocked out to end the fight in a way that could have resulted in serious injury due to clear referee negligence.
‘‘I heard Joseph admitted to the low blows and that should be enough to change this fight to a ‘no contest’.
‘‘His excuse that, ‘That’s up to the ref to see low blows and his job to fight’ is like saying it’s up to police to stop you from stealing.’’
Flores said he had ‘‘the support of a lot of wonderful people in New Zealand and I was met by people at the airport who apologised for how I was mistreated’’.
He asked Parker at the end of the fight: ‘‘What’s up? You know you were hitting me low’.
‘‘He just mumbled and didn’t have an answer, but he did say he’d give me a rematch. No amount of money would ever make me a dirty fighter. Joe needs to look deeply and reflect about the importance of good character because, at the end of the day, that’s what matters the most.’’