Joseph Parker defeats Solomon Haumono with a fourth round KO. ^Featured

Haumono barely landed a telling blow before he was rocked by a ferocious uppercut in the fourth round of the main event in Christchurch's Horncastle Arena on Thursday night, but he later came out swinging with trainer Justin Fortune as Parker celebrated extending his professional record to 20-0.

McTavish stopped the fight after Haumono failed to beat his count to 10, though the former league star and Fortune claim he botched the process – a claim that seemed to be validated by television commentator Colonel Bob Sheridan, whose count was on eight when Haumono got to his feet.

"We made it up on the eight count," said Fortune, who said a protest would be lodged with the WBC and WBO sanctioning bodies.

"It's not because we're sore losers or anything like that, it's the fact that he actually got it wrong."

"The count wasn't clear, it wasn't loud. I thought he was bringing him back to tape up his gloves or something.

"Then he [McTavish] turns around and says 'I've called the fight because he didn't beat the count'. He was up on eight, it's as clear as a bell. The official next to me had it the same [as] me."

Official timekeeper David Kettle from the New Zealand Professional Boxing Association told The Daily Telegraph that McTavish missed four seconds in his count.
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"We counted one, two, three and the referee came in with a seven, so he missed four seconds."

A disappointed Haumono said although the uppercut rattled him, he felt capable of continuing.

"I got caught with a shot, re-gathered my thoughts and I was ready to go on. Unfortunately, the referee did think otherwise.

"I was always taught that referees are always right, but sometimes they're human and they get it wrong as well."

If the protest is upheld, there could be grounds for a rematch, though 76-year-old McTavish was adamant he carried out the procedure perfectly.

"Someone said to me I only counted to eight. I was wired, right [for TV].

"At nine, he was like this," said McTavish, as he kneeled to demonstrate.

"He was like this looking at me. I looked him straight in the eye, I went '9', what do I do after 9? I say 10, as I said '10', he got up.

"My job is, if you count to 10, the fight stops, even if he looks fit and is stood ready to go, he can't. After 10, that's absolution, that's the end of the fight."

McTavish, who has controlled 383 pro fights, said although Haumono "wasn't really hurt", he thought the 40-year-old was semi-concussed.

"He's looking at me like we were going to have a conversation. The conversation ends at 10."

McTavish said Fortune had no issue with him stopping the fight in the immediate aftermath, and was surprised a protest had been initiated.

"Justin had no complaint at all. He said 'great stop, Bruce, it's close'," the Philippines-based New Zealander said, before offering a theory on his long-time friend's change of heart.

"He's got to defend his fighter, that's part of showbiz for boxing.

"I find him a nice person … but yes, it hurts me. I've got notoriety now for cheating. I don't cheat, no need to.

"I've done 166 world titles, I love people … I don't cheat, it would be an injustice to the sport."

McTavish reminded reporters he was judged boxing's top referee in the world in 2013, and again in 2015.

"I've done 166 fights, I've done 15 years of seminars all around the world including North Korea and Siberia, so my reputation is something that's been earned over the years."

Parker's trainer Kevin Barry was angered when told about the protest action, arguing Haumono would have suffered serious damage had the fight continued.

"The guy was unconscious, what do you think would have happened if the referee had said 'box on'? Joseph would have put him out cold and we could be looking at a guy getting carted off to hospital.

"He was walking on the balls of his feet, his eyes were spinning in his head. You don't have to be a boxing expert to see what happened."

 - Stuff