Zach Parker expressed outrage at the judges who he believes unjustly awarded Joshua Buatsi a victory, claiming it jeopardized his children’s future. Parker, a light-heavyweight fighter, showcased dominance over Buatsi, an Olympic bronze medalist, during their match in Manchester on Saturday evening.
Throughout the fight, Parker effectively frustrated his opponent, who struggled to counter Parker’s strategic moves. Buatsi found himself chasing after Parker, who skillfully controlled the bout and impeded Buatsi’s progress by frequently holding him.
Despite some improvement from Buatsi in the middle rounds, Parker was deemed the clear winner by many observers. However, all three judges rendered a different verdict, with one seeing it as a draw and the other two giving Buatsi a slight advantage by two points.
Following the controversial decision, Parker, who is expecting another child, expressed deep disappointment, stating, “I am furious. I clearly won that fight. Everyone present at ringside would agree that I was the victor.” He emphasized the impact of the decision on his family’s future, expressing frustration at the missed opportunity to secure a title shot and progress to bigger fights.
Buatsi, on the other hand, reflected on his comeback after a prior defeat, emphasizing the importance of winning regardless of the circumstances. He criticized Parker’s defensive tactics, mentioning the excessive holding and claiming that such tactics should not secure a win.
Looking ahead, Buatsi aims to face the winner of Anthony Yarde’s upcoming world title fight with David Benavidez in Saudi Arabia. In another controversial outcome of the night, Liam Cameron was declared the winner over Troy Jones despite Jones dominating significant portions of the fight.
In other boxing news, promoter Eddie Hearn has earmarked potential return dates for Anthony Joshua, considering adding him to an undercard event. Joshua has been inactive since his defeat to Daniel Dubois over a year ago, and Hearn is exploring the possibility of Joshua fighting in California on December 13 or in Riyadh on December 27. Additionally, there are talks of a potential bout between Joshua and Jake Paul before Christmas, as Paul seeks a new opponent following accusations against Gervonta Davis.
