NZ boxing trainer Kevin Barry has been labelled a 'control freak' by British heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte.
Whyte is preparing for a marquee showdown against Joseph Parker on July 29 at London's O2 Arena, with Barry in the Kiwi’s corner, as he has been throughout his professional career.
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But the 30-year-old Briton, ranked in the top five in all four major boxing organisations, has questioned Barry’s apparent quest for the spotlight.
Whyte believes Barry and Duco Events try to control the narrative to keep Parker from media scrutiny.
"Kevin Barry is a strange man," Whyte told Newshub. "He is a strange individual, who has a lot of control over Parker's career.
"He seems to be a control freak, and all the media stuff is based around him and not his fighter. He is hungry for that media attention more than giving the fighter the spotlight.
"Duco are the same - they seem hungry for the limelight, instead of letting Parker get the limelight that he deserves as the guy stepping into the ring.
"They are very controlling. I guess Joseph is not the most confident person and they feel the best way to handle him is to take that media heat away from him."
Whyte has a lot on the line against Parker. A win would all but guarantee 'The Body Snatcher' a heavyweight title fight against Anthony Joshua or WBC champion Deontay Wilder.
But a loss to the Kiwi would see Whyte plummet from the summit of heavyweight contenders to the also-rans.
Whyte told Andrew Gourdie and Jim Kayes on RadioLIVE’s Sunday Sport that he embraces the pressure of holding onto his contender status, rather than cower for a year until his mandatory fight is ordered.
"Joseph Parker is bringing nothing to the table for me in this fight," Whyte told Newshub.
"I'm the guy who is the mandatory positions. I'm the highest-ranked fighter in the world outside of the two champions.
"I'm highly ranked in every organisation and I have three potential mandatory fights if I beat Parker. I have a lot to lose.
"I'm a fighting man - I don't care what the outcomes may be, I just want to fight.
"I could have easily sat down and not fought for a year, and got a mandatory shot at AJ or Wilder, but that's not my nature and I'm not about that life.
"I am a fighter. I'm looking to stay busy and active, and keep fighting.
"When the Parker fight came up, I jumped at it straight away. It is the best fight out there for me, outside of a heavyweight title fight."
Whyte's only professional loss came at the hands of Joshua in 2015, via seventh-round stoppage.
The Brit acknowledges Joshua was the better man that night, but noted their scrap was one of the best heavyweight fights of the last decade, while Parker's April decision loss was only memorable for being boring.
"My fight with AJ was a proper fight. People still talk about that fight as one of the best fights they have ever seen - it was a great heavyweight fight.
"I am a warrior. I don't want to out there, and be happy and smiling after losing a decision - I want to win by knockout or be knocked out.
"No-one will talk about Parker's fight with AJ in five years, because no-one will remember it. I want to put on good fights for the fans and be remembered as that type of fighter.
"I want the fans to say ‘Dillian Whyte comes to fight and we get value for money every time he fights’, and I have proved that time and time again," ‘said Whyte.
Newshub.
Join us on July 29 for live updates of the Parker vs Whyte heavyweight boxing fight.
