Joshua vs Parker referee to become Joshua's full-time bodyguard
Giuseppe Quartarone, referee of Anthony Joshua's unanimous decision victory over Joseph Parker, is to become Joshua's full-time bodyguard, it has emerged.
The excitement-averse Italian was quick to break up anything that resembled action throughout the fight, making for a less than interesting night of heavyweight boxing.
Any time Parker looked to get on the inside and land punches, Quartarone was there, bravely throwing his body in the way of shots as if he and Joshua were Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston.
Fans of Parker were understandably furious as the New Zealander's only other option was to eat jab after jab from his bigger, taller opponent for 12 rounds.
Joshua, however, was thrilled with the referee's performance. The unified heavyweight champion had this to say:
"I thought the referee did a fantastic job. He probably took more shots from Parker than I did.
"To have him there protecting me every time Parker was about to hurt me was really comforting, so I've decided to offer him a full-time position as my bodyguard."
It is understood Quartarone accepted the role without hesitation, perhaps knowing he would never be allowed to referee a world title fight ever again anyway.
