Controversial Referee to Judge Eubank Jr vs Benn Rematch as Officials Named

A controversial referee has been named as a judge for the rematch between Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn.

Eubank Jr. and Benn meet for a second time on Saturday following their all-out war last April.

Both men traded blows for 12 gruelling rounds as Eubank Jr. secured a unanimous decision victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which will once again host the rematch.

Ahead of Eubank Jr. and Benn renewing hostilities, the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) have announced the officials for Saturday's all-British showdown.

Kevin Parker will be the third man in the ring as he will referee Eubank Jr. vs. Benn 2.

He has been an official since 2012 and is widely regarded as one of the best referees in the UK.

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Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn during their first fight in April. Image: Getty

Parker is no stranger to big occasions, having refereed the rematch between Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev in Saudi Arabia last February.

He refereed Eubank Jr.'s second fight against Liam Smith but has yet to oversee a fight involving Benn.

The judges for Eubank Jr. vs. Benn 2 will be John Latham, Marcus McDonnell and Howard Foster, who was accused of stopping Joseph Parker vs. Fabio Wardley prematurely.

Wardley stopped Parker in the 11th round of their heavyweight contest at London's O2 Arena last month.

Howard Foster was accused of stopping Joseph Parker vs. Fabio Wardley prematurely. Image: Getty

Foster intervened after Wardley had Parker against the ropes, but the Kiwi fighter bemoaned the stoppage.

"I felt fine when they stopped the fight," Parker said the fight. "I wanted to carry on.

"I thought I was fine but I'm not the ref. We went out there and gave it our best and he won."

Wardley, however, argued: "Maybe the ref could have called it a couple of shots earlier."

Foster was also the referee in the first fight between Carl Froch and George Groves that became infamous for the nature of the stoppage, with many fans and critics believing it was premature.

But Froch believes the British official did a 'fantastic' job and insists he saved Groves' career.

"The referee has a split-second decision and it can be difference between somebody being seriously injured and somebody then going on to have a fantastic future," he explained. "Howard Foster did a fantastic job."

Foster has accrued plenty of experience as an official, having been assigned with many high-profile gigs, but he has come under fire for some of his performances in and out of the ring.