Teina Pora's boxing trainer says he did not realise a video of a meeting with top boxer Joseph Parker would be used by news media so extensively.
Teina Pora Photo: TVNZ / One News
Mr Pora's convictions for the 1992 rape and murder of Auckland woman Susan Burdett were quashed by the Privy Council on Tuesday.
Duco Events sent a video of the meeting with Parker to news media and Mr Pora's lawyer Jonathon Krebs has accused the company of exploiting his client.
Mr Pora's boxing trainer Ermehn Loto said it was his idea to approach Duco about a charity fight for his friend and he knew there would some publicity but not the extent of it.
"I didn't think it was going to go as far as the news, I didn't think it was that big a deal. We were there just to meet and greet ... it didn't seem wrong, it didn't feel wrong."
Mr Pora, who had his conviction for murder quashed by the Privy Council this week after spending 21 years in prison, appeared in a video for Duco Events.
The accompanying press release said Mr Pora would take part in a boxing match with a policeman.
Radio New Zealand understands that Mr Pora did not realise that the video would be circulated to news organisations, and Mr Krebs planned to talk to Duco about its concerns, but would not specify what they were.
A Duco Events director, David Higgins said the company was approached by Mr Pora through his trainer and he understood that the meeting would be filmed and distributed.
He said Mr Pora knows what he is doing and, if he still wants to fight, they will support him.
During Mr Pora's appeal, evidence was presented to the Privy Council that he had the mental age of a ten-year-old.
The 39-year-old spent over half his life in prison but had always maintained his innocence.
