Round-by-Round: Joshua Buatsi vs. Zach Parker | DAZN - 1 November 2025

[tigermoth87]

Another blatant robbery. This is why I barely watch boxing at the moment. It's just robberies, poor stoppages and Youtuber having fake fights with washed up has-beings.

[THEBUTCH]

If Buatsi never boxes again he can retire safe in the knowledge that he figured in a British boxing classic. Parker's unlikely to get anywhere near such an accomplishment.

Buatsi has to put this fight behind him and get back in the ring very soon.

[mickey1975]

Hunter said its because Buatsi is still learning, he started late...

[CaptainSpacerod]

There's coming in with a game plan that requires discipline and restraint, but Parker & team turned up to pull off a heist !

The referee was shambolic How many times did Parker drop to the floor ?! Where were the point deductions....plural.

Parker got what he deserved out of the fight....nothing ! Unfortunately, the game is up for Parker now. He looked out of his depth against Ryder and now it's clear to see he cannot compete (without flagrant cheating/spoiling) against opponents who have competed at world level (Ryder)....or approaching world level (Buatsi).

Buatsi couldn't seem to comprehend that Parker wasn't there to fight. It was a poor night for Buatsi and i bet he wishes he'd never put pen to paper when signing to box Parker

Is there a clear and definitive rule dealing with a fighter who keeps falling to the floor like that or is it down to interpretation ?

Parker said post fight that he kept falling down cos Buatsi was pushing him down and his only option would have been to lift him up. Could the ref not have nipped it in the bud by telling Buatsi not to push him down ?

[gilgamesh]

Didn't look like Buatsi was pushing him down to me. Looked like Parker was ducking as low as he could and grabbing onto him for dear life everytime he threw some punches.

I know nobody would ever rewatch that sorry ass fight, but I'll bet if you watched it with the sound off and simply looked for who is landing more, you'd see it was no robbery.

[Ruthless-RKO]

The comms have been very shocking on DAZN the last few fight nights especially.

They just can’t be neutral.

[Bigdogsnose]

If Buatsi never boxes again he can retire safe in the knowledge that he figured in a British boxing classic. Parker's unlikely to get anywhere near such an accomplishment.

Buatsi has to put this fight behind him and get back in the ring very soon.

Gotta feeling that buatsi and his team probably had higher hopes than getting beat in a good scrap thou.

Totally agree that he needs to get straight back on it. History tells us he wont.

For me buatsi is such a coaster. Fights to opponents level. Smith dragged something out of him, but he is not normally a great watch. Get degale vibes, he could just totally switch off in fights where he could have blitzed his opponent.

[TheLeprechaun]

There's coming in with a game plan that requires discipline and restraint, but Parker & team turned up to pull off a heist !

The referee was shambolic How many times did Parker drop to the floor ?! Where were the point deductions....plural.

Parker got what he deserved out of the fight....nothing ! Unfortunately, the game is up for Parker now. He looked out of his depth against Ryder and now it's clear to see he cannot compete (without flagrant cheating/spoiling) against opponents who have competed at world level (Ryder)....or approaching world level (Buatsi).

Buatsi couldn't seem to comprehend that Parker wasn't there to fight. It was a poor night for Buatsi and i bet he wishes he'd never put pen to paper when signing to box Parker

Is there a clear and definitive rule dealing with a fighter who keeps falling to the floor like that or is it down to interpretation ?

Parker said post fight that he kept falling down cos Buatsi was pushing him down and his only option would have been to lift him up. Could the ref not have nipped it in the bud by telling Buatsi not to push him down ?

What if Parker was lying and he was doing it on purpose? Haye was dropping to the floor vs Wlad whenever Wlad tried to put his weight on him but there were times when he just dropped to the floor in anticipation of Wlad doing it. Do you tell Wlad not to think about doing it so Haye can then not anticipate it and not drop to the floor? It can't really be policed if you're relying on a fighters word about it.

[joshj909]

There's coming in with a game plan that requires discipline and restraint, but Parker & team turned up to pull off a heist !

The referee was shambolic How many times did Parker drop to the floor ?! Where were the point deductions....plural.

Parker got what he deserved out of the fight....nothing ! Unfortunately, the game is up for Parker now. He looked out of his depth against Ryder and now it's clear to see he cannot compete (without flagrant cheating/spoiling) against opponents who have competed at world level (Ryder)....or approaching world level (Buatsi).

Buatsi couldn't seem to comprehend that Parker wasn't there to fight. It was a poor night for Buatsi and i bet he wishes he'd never put pen to paper when signing to box Parker

Is there a clear and definitive rule dealing with a fighter who keeps falling to the floor like that or is it down to interpretation ?

Parker said post fight that he kept falling down cos Buatsi was pushing him down and his only option would have been to lift him up. Could the ref not have nipped it in the bud by telling Buatsi not to push him down ?

What if Parker was lying and he was doing it on purpose? Haye was dropping to the floor vs Wlad whenever Wlad tried to put his weight on him but there were times when he just dropped to the floor in anticipation of Wlad doing it. Do you tell Wlad not to think about doing it so Haye can then not anticipate it and not drop to the floor? It can't really be policed if you're relying on a fighters word about it.

It would also not be happening if Parker wasn't shooting for a takedown every round. No reason for his head to end up there that frequently

[Ruthless-RKO]

Zach Parker: Appeal Lodged With WBA, Would Happily Do Joshua Buatsi Rematch

Boxing is a strange sport.

Zach Parker has been competing at title level for seven years but the 31-year-old light heavyweight has probably received more attention and publicity from last weekend's controversial majority decision loss to Joshua Buatsi than his previous 27 fights combined.

Parker was on his way home after a long day of media when The Ring caught up with him.

"Keep it out there and keep people talking," Parker (26-2, 18 KOs) said.

"That's why I've been doing these interviews. With boxing, there will be another show the next weekend or the same happens and it gets brushed under the carpet or forgotten.

"Honestly, I'm just really pleased people are talking about it."

Parker and Buatsi (20-1, 13 KOs) were fully aware of just how important Saturday's fight was. Both knew that victory would put them in position for a shot at the winner of David Benavidez's upcoming WBC 175-pound world title defence against Anthony Yarde.

In addition to that, both are highly ranked by the WBO whilst the WBA attached a minor ranking belt to Saturday's fight.

It wasn't a pretty spectacle but when the bell rang to end the tenth and final round, for a brief period of time Parker looked ideally placed to attack the 175-pound division on all fronts. The judges decision changed those plans quickly.

As well as talking loudly about the injustice most feel he suffered last weekend, Parker and his team have been hard at work behind the scenes.

"My team have put in an appeal with the WBA," he said.

"If they decide to order a rematch, I'll happily do it. Really though, I think I should be the one moving on. I should be the one waiting for a shot at the winner of Benavidez and Yarde."

Parker was badly in need of a confidence-boosting performance.

He has struggled to find his form since a broken hand forced him to retire after the fourth round of an WBO interim super middleweight title fight with John Ryder back in 2022.

Since then, there have been late opponent changes, cancelled dates and a move up in weight. Parker reeled off four consecutive wins but the Buatsi bout had a sink-or-swim feel.

A scare-free start was crucial to Parker's chances of springing a surprise. The elusive gameplan he and his trainer, Errol Johnson, put together worked from the opening bell and, by the middle rounds, Parker knew things were going his way.

"I was thinking, 'This isn't getting any harder like I thought, I'm alright here.' I didn't really have to get out of second gear," he said.

"The other fights I've had building up to this one took more out of me."

Buatsi is The Ring's No. 5-ranked contender and began the year as the WBO interim champion and, regardless of how it looked or the judges' decision, Parker woke up on Sunday morning knowing he can compete with the division's leading lights.

He wants to get back in the ring early in the new year and build on the momentum last weekend's controversy generated.

"It's done loads for my confidence," he said.

"I've been doing a lot of strength and conditioning work, built myself up to the light heavyweight division.

"It's the first time for ages that I've had no niggles or injury. Give me a proper training camp and an opponent who doesn't pull out, I’m confident I can beat any of these boys."

[joshj909]

Absolutely nobody is watching a rematch. Don't see which promoter is willing to put that on and pay them a decent amount

[Coco]

End of the day Buatsi is in line for a shot, Parker is still in the mix, FW will be happy enough and can easily move both forward separately

[Ruthless-RKO]

JOSHUA BUATSI-ZACH PARKER IMMEDIATE REMATCH REQUEST REJECTED BY WBA

The Ring has learned that the WBA have rejected Zach Parker’s request for an immediate rematch with Joshua Buatsi.

Last Saturday night, Buatsi (20-1, 13 KOs) was awarded a disputed majority decision over Parker (26-2, 18 KOs) after their scrappy 10-round light heavyweight fight at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena.

Although the fight failed to catch fire, Parker followed his gameplan to a tee and Buatsi struggled mightily to track him down. At the final bell, the vast majority of observers expected Parker to have his hand raised.

The decision in Buatsi’s favour generated a huge amount of controversy and Parker’s team lodged an immediate appeal with the WBA.

On Thursday the sanctioning body informed Parker’s team and Queensberry Promotions that, having evaluated the appeal, they have decided not to impose an immediate rematch.

Despite the win, Buatsi dropped from No. 5 to No. 8 in The Ring’s latest ratings. He will now target a 2026 world title shot and will be an interested observer when David Benavidez defends his WBC title against Anthony Yarde on Ring IV which takes place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on November 22.

Although Parker has received a huge amount of public support, he will now want to plot a route back into contention as quickly as possible.

It is believed that he could target the popular Liam Cameron (24-7-1, 10 KOs) who won a controversial decision of his own over Troy Jones on Saturday’s card.

[CaptainSpacerod]

Buatsi has absolutely no chance of winning a world title. He should fight Yarde and Arthur and then retire

[MightyWarrior]

Buatsi has absolutely no chance of winning a world title. He should fight Yarde and Arthur and then retire

By that reckoning, maybe the whole light heavyweight division of contenders should retire, because none of them are beating those three belt holders.

I think you’d be hard-pressed to think of three more formidable titleholders reigning at same time.

[CaptainSpacerod]

Buatsi has absolutely no chance of winning a world title. He should fight Yarde and Arthur and then retire

By that reckoning, maybe the whole light heavyweight division of contenders should retire, because none of them are beating those three belt holders.

I think you’d be hard-pressed to think of three more formidable titleholders reigning at same time.

Poorly phrased comment from me. I meant more that he seems to have reached the end of the road and at his age he’s not going to improve so to have a couple of big domestic fights to sign off with would be a good way to go. Add Ben Whitaker to that list as well maybe, I could see that selling well

[gilgamesh]

How old is Buatsi? Because even if he can't beat the guys at the top right now, they won't be there forever, and even if he just stays in the mix, and gets a few cracks at it. That's still probably going to earn him enough money that it's worth sticking to the sport for.

Beterbiev is in his 40's now, so I don't look for him to linger around at the top of the division for too much longer.

And we all know even an Undisputed Champion like Bivol can be stripped of a belt here or a belt there due to the whims of the title orgs, so it's not out of the question Buatsi could find himself fighting for a belt.

[Ezzard]

7-3 Parker. Buatsi just doesnt have it.

Neither fighter was impressive. It was a dull fight. The only particularly effective punch through the fight was Buatsi's jab.

Maybe. But the biggest tell was Buatsi didn't think he won the fight.

I remember thinking JB was the best prospect I'd seen come out of UK. He's a hard man for sure. But the only way he wins a world title is if its set up with the top guys retiring or moving on.

Parker had a plan, stuck to it and deserved the win. And the fact he wasn't great doing it tells us all we need to know about where Buatsi is.

[THEBUTCH]

There is those amongst us who didn't think Parker deserved the win. The referee should have dealt with his blatant cheating (holding or dropping to the floor).

I don't believe for a second Parker could have won if he was made to fight within the rules, or even partly within the rules.

It's interesting to note that there seems to be a high expectation on Buatsi as if he was someone destined to conquer the world.

A very good amateur and very solid pro, but if you look at his best wins it's a long list of domestic scalps...which is impressive, but the only fellow Brit who was world class (Callum Smith) he lost to in convincing fashion, albeit in a titanic struggle

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy watching Buatsi but don't have any pretensions about where he sits in the light heavyweight division. He's a contender for sure, but clearly has limitations and always has.

[JxhDel.]

One of the worst decisions in recent times. Parker has been unlucky another time.