Kiwi boxer Joseph Parker has adopted a rather unusual technique to prepare for his upcoming fight against Dereck Chisora, but his camp thinks it will serve him well.
Trainer Kevin Barry has asked Parker's sparring partners to fight dirty and repeatedly foul the New Zealander during training sessions.
Barry fears Chisora may resort to dirty tactics when the two title contenders square off at the O2 Arena on October 27 (NZ time).
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Parker's manager David Higgins has called out boxing referees on multiple occasions, in particular after fights in the UK against Hughie Fury, Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte.
British referee Terry O'Connor was pulled from the Fury fight after concerns surrounding potential bias, while reputable boxing pundits condemned Italian Giuseppe Quartarone's handling of the fight with Joshua.
Then against Whyte, Parker fell to the canvas as he was on the end of a headbutt, but referee Ian John Lewis ruled it a knockdown which proved costly.
"I've actually got some very good sparring guys," Barry told Sky Sports UK. "I won't name them. Guys who, one in particular, who is mimicking Chisora very well.
"Everything from leading with his head, using his elbows, and his forearms and low blows, and choking Joe with his arm, pushing Joe's head down. All the fouls that we know Derek Chisora has as part of his skill-set.
"My biggest concern about this whole fight is the officials. I'm hoping now that we've signed with Eddie - I'm not worried about the judges because they are going to be independent - but I'm worried about the referee.
"It's very, very important that we get a referee who can control a physical fight of this magnitude and can give us an even playing field.
"I think we've earned that from The British Boxing Board of Control."
Higgins says Barry and Parker have every right to be concerned.
"Joseph Parker and Kevin Barry are 100 percent right to be gravely concerned," Higgins told Sky Sports UK. "We've got a 100 percent rate of unfair treatment in the UK by the officials.
"I invite the British public and media just to look at the tapes, you can see it. It's not opinion, it's fact.
"We would call for a level playing field, and we'll be scrutinising very closely the choice of referee, in particular, as well as the judges too. The referee has been the main issue for the three fights, rather than the judges.
"[Chisora's ] like Whyte - they look to win in any way possible, besides just boxing. He's now at the end of his career and he'll do anything. We're going to need a very strong referee that administers in a fair manner."
Join us on October 27 for live updates of the Parker v Chisora heavyweight fight
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