Former New Zealand amateur and professional boxing champion Lance Revill with a silver boxing cup that he won as an amateur in 1973. Photo / Paul Estcourt.
Lance Revill has quit as president of the New Zealand Professional Boxing Association, a position he has held for more than a decade, following criticism from its members over his reaction to Joseph Parker's WBO world heavyweight title fight victory against Andy Ruiz Jr.
Revill was ringside at the fight
at Vector Arena in November as New Zealander Parker won a close 12-round fight by majority decision and was extremely vocal in his opinion that Mexican Ruiz Jr in fact won, saying the judges' decision was "bull****" and "embarrassing".
"When I made a comment about Joseph Parker losing his last fight, and I still stick by that, I was getting criticised by members of my own association who were saying 'Lance is out of line' and saying I shouldn't be saying that as president," Revill told the Herald. "Well, if I can't say it as president, who can say it?
"I want to be able to say what I like and speak my mind because I don't like the way boxing has been run at the moment."
John Conway, the former NZPBA vice-president, has been appointed president until the association's annual meeting in four months.
