Parker’s boss blasts Revill over criticism of decision
Joseph Parker’s handlers have lashed out at Kiwi boxing great Lance Revill’s ‘‘negativity’’ and ‘‘lack of respect’’ for new WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker.
Duco Events co-owner Dean Lonergan put on the gloves and came out swinging at New Zealand Professional Boxing Association president Lance Revill who has seriously questioned Parker’s win, claiming his Mexican opponent Andy Ruiz had been ‘‘ripped off’’ by the judges and ‘‘something stinks about this fight’’.
‘‘I can’t believe that Lance Revill, a man who has been involved in boxing all his life, would come out and be as negative and disrespectful as he has been,’’ Lonergan said.
‘‘Lance Revill is nothing but an irrelevance and he should crawl back into his hole of obscurity and lock the door with the key of irrelevance because, bottom line, the guy’s an idiot.’’
Parker beat Ruiz by a majority decision to win the WBO belt. Independent international judges scored the fight 114-114, 115-113, 115-113.
Revill, a former national champion and a current referee and trainer, blasted the result and gave the fight to Ruiz 118-111 in his personal scoring.
‘‘I know one thing for sure, Parker didn’t win that fight,’’ Revill told Newstalk ZB. ‘‘And I want to make it clear with everyone else, cut your bulls..., cut saying he’s an honorable Samoan/ New Zealander, it’s bulls ....
‘‘He didn’t win the fight and get real New Zealand because we haven’t got a New Zealand heavyweight champion. Ruiz got ripped off.’’
Lonergan was furious on Monday, believing Revill’s comments weren’t appropriate for someone in his position of authority in the sport, and Revill should rather be applauding Parker’s contribution to its resurgence. ‘‘Boxing has never been on a bigger high in this country than what it is now,’’ claimed Lonergan. ‘‘It’s fully back into the mainstream. Boxing gyms from both the corporate level and the hardcore amateur level are full around the country with kids wanting to fulfil the Joseph Parker dream and emulate it.
‘‘This achievement is only going to continue to grow the sport.’’
Lonergan said he had respect for Revill’s dedication to the sport – ‘‘for no money he turns up on a daily basis and trains a whole lot of amateurs which is actually the lifeblood of the sport, so I applaud Lance for what he does there’’ – but he saw no sense in belittling Parker’s rise to hold one of the four genuine world title belts in the heavyweight division and become the first New Zealandborn fighter to do that.
‘‘I look at his comments in disgust and think, how dare you try and drag down the greatest boxing achievement this country has ever seen and claim you have the love of the sport at heart. You’re being an idiot Lance,’’ Lonergan said.
Parker has brushed off the questioning of his win which came in a tight and torrid contest at Auckland’s Vector Arena.
‘‘I don’t blame them, it was a very close fight so I don’t blame them for questioning. But deep down inside I know I won. I know that I did enough to get the victory,’’ Parker said.
The Ruiz camp respectfully questioned the result after the fight. Most fight critics acknowledged the bout was close but none suggested the scores should be as lopsided in favour of Ruiz as Revill. Interestingly the highly respected Ring magazine released its fight report and was in favour of Parker’s victory, saying there could be ‘‘no real complaints’’.
‘‘The bout itself was highly competitive when Ruiz forced the home fighter to trade but, for much of the time, the MexicanAmerican slugger found himself being picked off by crisp punches at long range,’’ Tom Gray wrote.
‘‘Parker got off to a good start in the opening round but in the second, he was trapped against the ropes and tagged by a sharp cluster of hooks. That danger was always present, and Parker was extremely wary whenever the visitor closed the gap. Ruiz, who is rated No 10 by The Ring, bossed the fight on the inside but he just couldn’t get there enough.
‘‘Parker kept him honest with single, double and triple jabs and occasionally brought over a solid right cross. By the mid-rounds, Parker had found his rhythm and was becoming more and more efficient with his left hand work. The New Zealander was perhaps guilty of being one-paced but he still managed to keep his distance and Ruiz, despite sporadic success, didn’t have the versatility to permanently change the course.’’