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Junior Fa’s trainer Eugene Bareman launched a scathing attack on Joseph Parker and his team, accusing them of not taking the fight between the two boxers seriously.
The All Kiwi Fight was supposed to take place on December 12 at Spark Arena, but due to a mysterious Fa disease, it has been delayed.
At a press conference Monday, Parker’s manager David Higgins revealed that the fight will now take place in late February or early March.
Fa will have an unspecified operation on Tuesday and his manager Mark Keddell said they noticed something was up after a bad training session recently.
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“Junior had a difficult session the other day and then we had a problem that caused an internal problem with him,” Keddell said.
“So we did some blood tests, they came back on Monday and the fight doctor wouldn’t let him fight.”
Parker’s coach Kevin Barry said Parker was on track to peak in mid-December, and he and his entire team were disappointed by the delay.
DAVID BLANCO / THINGS
A blood test last week revealed that Junior needs an operation, which will stop him training for four weeks.
“We had 50 rounds of sparring,” Barry said.
“Joe looked better in the gym every week and all the signs were there that we would be peaking on December 12th.
“Now he will be out of the boxing gym for the next five to six weeks.”
The press conference was fairly uneventful until Bareman stepped forward, making an accusation that it will be Fa who will be harmed by the delay, because Parker’s camp was not showing its fighter enough beforehand. He also hit Higgins.
“One thing we’ve been reminded of through the renegotiation of this fight is that this is 100 percent of Higgins’ program,” Bareman said.
“We are the B-side of this, getting to the point where we are now, it’s cordial here now, but it’s a s… backstage fight to get this to where we are now.
“David experienced this when José fought Anthony Joshua. He had Eddie Hearn on his butt and now he’s paying us back and giving something back.
DUNCAN JOHNSTONE / Things
Coach Kevin Barry said he and Joseph Parker are taking the fight against Junior Fa seriously.
“Eddie Hearn was with him, now he’s with us, making us work hard for every little thing we have.
“We lose the main advantage that we had and that is that these guys were not taking this fight seriously,” he added.
“You know Kevin Barry took his time going back. We were already training for four weeks before they decided to bring their coach back.
“My gym, City Kickboxing, we run these streets. If you’re partying with celebrities or scumbags like me and Doug (Viney, also from City Kickboxing).
“We know what you’re doing, these guys are from Las Vegas, we drive these streets, we have our ears on the streets, and if you’re not taking this fight seriously, we know it.
“Now they could be taking this fight more seriously, now they have more time. So we lose that advantage. We are absolutely devastated to have lost that advantage. “
Higgins, who is used to badmouthing before a big fight, brushed aside Bareman’s criticism.
“You almost make me feel sorry for him, but the reality is that we are the financial subscribers to the show. We are taking all the risks, ”he said.
“Frankly, we’re leaving… with your camp carry-on. They p …… us around. So do I feel sorry for them for the changes? Not at all.
“There are no other opportunities in New Zealand now and they have bothered us a lot, but hey, it’s boxing that we do with the punches.
“We have to renegotiate everything, put the show back on and at least these guys are going to fight completely fit.
“I just hope Joseph Parker makes them pay for that extra time we’ve had to wait.”
Meanwhile, Barry rejected Bareman’s suggestion that he and Parker weren’t taking the fight seriously.
“I thought Eugene did an excellent job here before and the promotion really needed him,” he joked.
“For me, the fight was in the ring, not outside of it. Having been in boxing my whole life, I have learned it.
“Yes, I live in Las Vegas, Joe and I have been together for eight years.
“At the age of 24 when he won the world title, we took nothing for granted and I can promise that we will not take this fight with Junior Fa lightly.
“The stakes cannot be higher for us. If we don’t get this fight right, it will be a long time before Joseph is back in the fight to fight for the heavyweight world title. “
