Boxing Dec 07, 2025

Joshua Buatsi beats Zach Parker in controversial decision after gruelling British light-heavyweight clash

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
Joshua Buatsi beats Zach Parker in controversial decision after gruelling British light-heavyweight clash

Zach Parker said he was "fuming" after losing a controversial decision to fellow British light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi on Saturday.

One judge scored the Manchester bout a 95-95 draw, while the other two saw it as a 96-94 victory for Buatsi.

After suffering a first defeat five fights to drop his record to 27-4, Parker insisted the decision should have gone his way.

He told DAZN: "Fuming. I won that fight easy. I think every single person at ringside said I won it.

"I won literally almost every round. If I outbox him and he can't even touch me, I should be champion now and going on to bigger fights."

Many ringside observers thought Parker had done enough to win the scrappy contest.

"Everyone's got eyes, so they can see the fight," Parker added. "He can't even a land a clean shot on me. I should be champion. I'm just pi**ed off.

"(I'd probably give him) one round, and that was early. The later rounds, he couldn't even catch me. I was comfortable in there.

"I should be going on for bigger titles and bigger money fights. I'm trying to change my daughter's life, and I get decisions like that."

Olympic bronze medallist Buatsi (20-1) returned to winning ways after suffering the first defeat of his professional career to Callum Smith in February.

Buatsi said: "I must admit it wasn't my best performance, but what do champions do? They win. Regardless of how it comes, you take it."

The fight was somewhat spoilt by excessive holding throughout, which on several occasions resulted in Parker dropping from the clinches to the canvas.

The pair each felt that the other should have been penalised for their tactics.

Parker said: "When he's pushed me down, what do you want me to do?

"I can't keep lifting him up. He's 14 stone or whatever, I'm going to waste my energy. If he's pushing me down, the referee should probably say, 'stop pushing him down.' I wouldn't keep going down to the floor then.

"A little bit scrappy at times, but if that's the way you can win a fight and outbox him and jab his head off all night, he couldn't even catch me with a shot."

Buatsi, with whom the judges appeared to agree with, was unimpressed by Parker's tactics.

"I don't know what style that is," Buatsi siad.

"You keep holding and going on the floor… you can't be on the floor about six times and claim you won the fight."

The controversial nature of the decision is likely to fuel calls for a rematch, but the lack of entertainment the fight produced could lead Buatsi's new promoter Frank Warren to think twice about taking up such an option.

Tags:

boxing news id:13462371

Share this article

Related Posts

Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions set to offer opponent to Katie Taylor for final career fight at Croke Park

Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions set to offer opponent to Katie Taylor for final career fight at Croke Park

Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions could provide the opponent for Katie Taylor’s final career fight at Croke Park in Dublin.Most Valuable Promotions...

Alycia Baumgardner: Caroline Dubois needs to do more to call me out | 'I put on great shows and I became undisputed'

Alycia Baumgardner: Caroline Dubois needs to do more to call me out | 'I put on great shows and I became undisputed'

Alycia Baumgardner insists Caroline Dubois still needs to prove herself before the American will agree to fight the unified lightweight world champion...

Conor Benn signs multi-year deal with Zuffa Boxing as the British star continues to work with Dana White's new promotion

Conor Benn signs multi-year deal with Zuffa Boxing as the British star continues to work with Dana White's new promotion

Conor Benn has signed a multi-fight, multi-year deal with Zuffa Boxing.Benn worked with Zuffa Boxing for his most recent bout, a 10-round victory over...

Cyrus Pattinson: Popular North East welterweight on fighting back from 'rock bottom' - 'I’m capable of beating anybody'

Cyrus Pattinson: Popular North East welterweight on fighting back from 'rock bottom' - 'I’m capable of beating anybody'

Cyrus Pattinson is fighting his way back from “rock bottom” as he looks to continue his career renaissance in Newcastle this Saturday.Pattinson was a...

Anthony Joshua receives contract for Tyson Fury fight but could take warm-up bout first, says Eddie Hearn

Anthony Joshua receives contract for Tyson Fury fight but could take warm-up bout first, says Eddie Hearn

Anthony Joshua has the contract for a blockbuster battle with Tyson Fury but could take a warm-up fight in July before facing his British rival in Nov...

Ryan Rozicki: Hard-punching Canadian cruiserweight signs multi-fight deal with Zuffa Boxing | 'I'm ready to make a statement'

Ryan Rozicki: Hard-punching Canadian cruiserweight signs multi-fight deal with Zuffa Boxing | 'I'm ready to make a statement'

Hard-punching cruiserweight Ryan Rozicki has signed a multi-fight deal with Zuffa Boxing.Rozicki, from Canada and known as 'The Bruiser', is the lates...