Barry comes out swinging at ‘muppet’ referee
Trainer Kevin Barry has broken his silence on the referee in charge of Joseph Parker’s first loss, labelling Italian Giuseppe Quartarone ‘‘a muppet’’ who produced ‘‘an absolutely appalling performance’’.
Quartarone was universally criticised for his handling of Parker’s unanimous points loss to Anthony Joshua in Cardiff on April 1.
Quartarone’s continual breaking up of the fighters when they were in closerange combat frustrated fight fans, critics and the Parker camp as the Kiwi surrendered his WBO title.
Parker and Barry refused to use Quartarone as an excuse after the fight, preferring to have others willingly to do the criticising for them.
But now, as Parker gets set for a return to Britain to take on Dillian Whyte in London on July 29 (NZT), Barry has finally unloaded.
He was asked about Quartarone in an extensive interview with FightTalk and didn’t hold back.
‘‘We didn’t have to make a comment about the referee after the fight because the whole world got to see it,’’ Barry said.
‘‘Here we had the first unification fight in the heavyweight division in over eight years, two undefeated young world champions . . . for god’s sake couldn’t they have given us one of the best referees in the world to officiate over a fight of this magnitude instead of a muppet who actually destroyed the fight,’’ Barry said.
‘‘He ruined it for both fighters and he ruined it for all the fans.
‘‘It was an absolutely appalling performance. I don’t even need to say that because everyone else has said it. But a fight of that magnitude . . . it should have been officiated by the best, not by some substandard guy.’’
Quartarone’s’s officiating played into Joshua’s game plan. Joshua, with a bigger unification fight against Deontay Wilder looming, didn’t want to take risks against the dangerous Parker and was content to operate behind his jab and physical advantages to see out a conservative points win.
Parker’s only hope of victory was to get on the inside and brawl Joshua. But every time he got up close, Quartarone stepped in to break up the tangle.
Barry was unsure who would control the fight between Parker and Whyte but said it certainly wouldn’t be Quartarone.
Parker is working through his first week in camp in Las Vegas since the Whyte fight was surprisingly announced late last week in London.
Barry said it had been a tough time for the 26-year-old.
‘‘Poor old Joe doesn’t know where he is,’’ Barry told FightTalk. ‘‘He did 34 hours of flying in three days to get here so we have been working through the jetlag.
‘‘The second week will be a lot better for Joe.’’