Boxing: Joseph Parker judge caught on the phone during bout as boxing takes another hit

A boxing judge was caught using his phone during a bout in the weekend. Photo / Twitter

A judge in a hotly-disputed Joseph Parker victory three years ago is to be investigated over a ringside phone controversy.

The British Boxing Board of Control is promising to investigate the 67-year-old Terry O'Connor, after a photograph appeared to show him using a phone while judging a WBA contest over the weekend.

O'Connor seems to be looking down at his phone while scrolling through it during the fight, raising major doubts about how attentive he was in attempting to do his job properly.

If that’s a phone (and I presume it is) then then BBBofC should immediately remove him. https://t.co/yVGKMRvNG9

— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) October 17, 2020

Brit Lewis Ritson won a split decision over Mexican Miguel Vazquez in Peterborough, but even Ritson's promoter Eddie Hearn thought Vazquez deserved to win.

Another British fight luminary described it as "the worst decision I've ever seen in boxing".

O'Connor, from Birmingham, was one of two judges who scored the 2017 WBO contest in Manchester between Parker and Hughie Fury at 118 – 110 in the Kiwi's favour.

Fury's promoter Mick Hennessy claimed it represented "corruption at its highest level in boxing - I thought it was an absolute masterclass. Parker wasn't even in the fight."

After the Ritson-Vazquez fight, Hearn shared the photo on Twitter saying: "If that's a phone then BBGBC should immediately remove him."

O'Connor gave Ritson a whopping 117 - 111 advantage, while the other judge who thought Ritson had won scored it more closely.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman tweeted: "This image is extremely troubling to any person involved in boxing."

And BBBC general secretary Robert Smith said he was "very, very disappointed", and said he could understand why people thought the Mexican had won.

"I am so frustrated that this seems to have happened. After the hard work we do behind the scenes we have something like this emerging.

"Personally I am so disappointed. I can't say anything more at this point."