Fight would bring boxing into disrepute - promoter

Teina Pora had a ringside seat at Joseph Parker's fight. Photo / Getty Images

Sky Arena director John McRae, a competitor with Duco, said he was approached twice last month by a supporter of Teina Pora who has links to the boxing world to see whether he would set up a fight between Mr Pora and a police officer or prison guard.

Mr McRae told the person it wouldn't be something the company would be willing to do.

"It's not something we'd look at, I feel it's in bad taste. I was concerned about the legal ramification for Teina and I feel it's not the right forum for a grievance like that to be settled."

He said it brought the sport of boxing into disrepute, and he was also concerned about backlash from advertisers.

But, he didn't think the people behind the approaches for the fight were taking advantage of Mr Pora.

"I believe they were doing it for the right reasons.

"Boxing can be a very positive force, there's many instances of boxing being a strong focus and providing direction for people. I can imagine it was joked around the gym and then someone probably said, 'Let's take it to a promoter and see if they'll put it on'."

Meanwhile, Mr Pora's lawyer has attacked Duco for using his client's profile to promote an upcoming boxing match - labelling the behaviour "reprehensible" and "reptilian".

Mr Pora's team is seeking an urgent meeting with Joseph Parker's boxing promoters to find out what discussions they have had over the former inmate getting in the ring.

Concerns were raised last night after Mr Pora appeared in a video with Parker. Mr Pora's legal team say the 39-year-old did not know he was being filmed for that purpose.

Duco said Mr Pora would be getting in the ring and all they wanted to do was give Mr Pora the opportunity to do something he enjoyed after being locked up for so long - and claimed he was fully aware of what he was being filmed for.

On Tuesday the Privy Council upheld Mr Pora's appeal and quashed his convictions for the 1992 rape and murder of Susan Burdett. He spent more than 20 years in prison after being twice convicted of the crimes. To celebrate his second night as a free man he attended Parker's 13th professional bout in Auckland last night after being offered a ringside seat.

Mr Pora met Parker earlier in the day and was filmed sparring with the young boxer.

"I'm a big fan [of Joseph Parker]. I used to watch his fights inside the place I've been for the last 22 years and to stand there and meet him, it's an honour and a privilege," Mr Pora said, filmed on a cellphone.

He went on to say that he had been training in prison and One News stated Mr Pora was keen to fight a police officer in the ring in the next few months. The footage, filmed by Duco's communications manager Craig Stanaway, was also released to 3 News and other media outlets including the New Zealand Herald.

Mr Pora's lawyer Jonathan Krebs today told Newstalk ZB Mr Pora was unaware that the video would be on the news because there were no television cameras at the meeting, only cellphones.

"He was aghast and disappointed," he said.

"It was just usury, usury for the purpose of promoting this boxing match."

He said Mr Pora was a big boxing fan, but the meeting preyed on Mr Pora's vulnerability and naivety, which was "utterly reprehensible".

"In my view that's something of a reptilian approach and it's desperately unfair to Teina."

Duco co-founder David Higgins was adamant that Mr Pora and his trainer were told the footage might be released to the media and that he was comfortable with that.

Mr Higgins said the trainer contacted him by text and indicated Mr Pora was keen to fight on Duco's card in future.

"It was his idea and he approached us," he said. "He wants to fight a cop ... It was never our idea.

"We said to the trainer we'd introduce him to Joseph Parker, we did and it was grand.

"I also said it might end up with the media and they said that was fine. He saw cameras in his face for five minutes and he was happy as Larry."

Tim McKinnel, the private investigator who has been working to help clear Mr Pora's name since 2009, said there was no issue with his client attending the fight.

The concern was around Mr Pora's ability to make decisions about his future.

Mr Pora suffers from a form of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

Mr McKinnel said: "Our main position is that we'd like to have a discussion (today) about the process Duco went through before deciding to use a man that they knew had some intellectual difficulties - and was in a vulnerable legal position - for promotion.
"I think most of the country is aware of the issues Teina faces. Teina did not know he was being filmed for the news."

Mr McKinnel "made inquiries" with Duco last night and hoped to pin them down further today.

Mr Higgins criticised Mr Pora's legal team saying they were "mollycoddling" him and treating him like a child. He said Mr Pora should be left to live his own life. He denied that Duco had used Mr Pora for promotion.

Police National Headquarters said they had no information about an officer going up against Mr Pora.

- additional reporting Teuila Fuatai and NZME. News