New Zealand heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker celebrates with the WBO belt after defeating Andy Ruiz Jr. Photo / Photosport.
New Zealand heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker celebrates with the WBO belt after defeating Andy Ruiz Jr. Photo / Photosport.
Outspoken boxing enthusiast Sir Bob Jones says Joseph Parker is not a credible world heavyweight champion and described his WBO belt as a "bogus title".
Parker's former mentor is appalled by the fractured and corrupt state of international boxing and says it's silly to pretend the 24-year-old South Aucklander isa genuine world heavyweight champion following Saturday's controversial win over Andy Ruiz Junior in Auckland.
The 77-year-old insists Parker's win and newfound status cannot be taken seriously when just hours later Britain's Anthony Joshua successfully defended his IBF heavyweight title against Eric Molina.
"It's a bogus title," Jones told Radio Sport's D'Arcy Waldegrave.
"Twelve hours later Joshua was fighting for the world heavyweight title (and) there's a couple of other roosters fighting for the world heavyweight title."
Jones described the WBO as a joke and representative of the various boxing organisations.
"And Joseph could have got there without this nonsense.
"There can only be one champion and you can't have this situation. It's destroyed boxing."
Sir Bob Jones has slammed the current state of international boxing. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Duco events promoter David Higgins vehemently rejects Jones' comments.
"The only thing bogus is Bob Jones' logic," Higgins told the Herald.
"Bob should think about this - how do you unify the belts without winning this one?"
Jones did not agree with New Zealand Professional Boxing Association president Lance Revill's claim that Ruiz had been "ripped off" by the judges but ultimately thought Parker had been outclassed by the tough Mexican.
The close nature of the bout, he says, was evidence that Parker is far from the finished product and needs more experience before he could be considered a genuine title holder.
"I personally thought he probably got edged," said Jones. "He was just woefully bad in the opening rounds. It wasn't until half way through he got into the bout.
"It was a disappointing performance and that's why he needs to fight a lot more people to one day perhaps become genuinely the world heavyweight champion.
"But he is not the world heavyweight champion."
Jones offered a rugby analogy to illustrate boxing's troubled state, where the best performing sides were overlooked in favour of second-rate 'title contenders'.
"It would be like the Rugby Union saying 'look, we won't bother with a provincial championship this year- we'll anoint South Canterbury to play Wairarapa Bush for the title and to hell with Canterbury, Wellington and Auckland'.
