Duco promoter David Higgins says the referee choice "seems a bit unfair" for the Parker v Fury fight.
Joseph Parker's attempts to get a neutral referee for his WBO world heavyweight title defence against Hughie Fury have failed with British officials standing by their local appointment.
Parker backers Duco Events have angrily protested the choice of British referee Terry O'Connor to be the man in the middle in Manchester in September 24, with O'Connor having officiated Fury's last two fights.
Duco boss David Higgins says he's "appalled and disgusted" by the choice and believes it goes against the fight contract. Parker's trainer Kevin Barry said he was disappointed by "what seems to be some home cooking".
But the British Boxing Board of Control, who are running the fight for the WBO, are standing firm and backing O"Connor.
"Our standard policy is to have a British referee, a British judge, an official from the country where the boxer is coming from and another from a neutral country [on the judging panel]," BBBoC secretary Robert Smith told Sky Sports in the UK as the issue hit headlines there.
"We advised the WBO some time ago our referee we want to appoint is Terry O'Connor and the judge being Marcus McDonnell."
He said they were "happy for a New Zealand judge" to be in the three-man mix.
Joseph Parker's trainer Kevin Barry voices concern at the choice of referee for the Hughie Fury fight.
Smith said they had considered the Duco requests, but wouldn't deviate from their policy.
"As far as we're concerned, we've had a bit of correspondence from Parker's team. We have heard nothing from the actual promoter in this country, Mick Hennessey, but we certainly had something from Parker's team, giving us their thoughts.
"We take on board what their thoughts are, we don't agree. We feel on this occasion, there is no need to deviate from our standard policy," he said.
"A lot of the time we do get requested for particular reasons etc. We do not deem it correct to change our standard policy on this occasion. Mr O'Connor is a world class referee. We are satisfied.
"This is not something which we just do to upset people, this is a standard policy. We do not feel the arguments they put forward warranted us to change our standard policy."
American David Fields refereed Anthony Joshua's win over Wladimir Klitschko, the biggest heavyweight fight in Britain and the world this year.
O'Connor, from Birmingham, is vastly experienced having refereed 1244 fights including world title bouts.
Irish great Barry McGuigan questioned O'Connor's credentials for this occasion but backed Parker to get a "fair deal" in the fight.
"I can understand why Parker's team would be concerned having a British referee and, with the greatest of respect, Terry O'Connor is, I've got to be careful what I say, he's a decent referee. Im not so sure he should be handling a world heavyweight title fight. But I will believe that the board of control will make sure that he's fair," McGuigan, the former lineal featherweight champion said.
"They'll make sure that he's fair and I have that type of faith in the Board of Control. I know Robert Smith and all the team. They're a very, very solid, decent bunch of people. They will make sure it's a fair fight, even though it's in the UK, they will make sure all of the decisions are fair.
"The Board of Control are very honourable people. I had the same worries and concerns when we went to New York for when Carl Frampton fought Leo Santa Cruz and I stressed with the New York State Athletic Association we'd get the right officials and just like the British Boxing Board of Control, and the Nevada State Athletic Association, they are three of the best organisations in the world and they're fair so Joseph will get a fair deal here."
Photo by: MATT IMPEY/ PHOTOSPORT.NZ (Caption: Kiwi heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker had some time to think as he took a stroll by the Thames in London)