Zach Parker expressed his frustration after a close defeat to Joshua Buatsi, accusing the judges of jeopardizing his family’s future. The light-heavyweight clash in Manchester saw Parker dominate his opponent, with Buatsi struggling to counter his tactics and resorting to chasing Parker while being held back.

Despite Buatsi’s improvement in the later rounds, Parker was deemed the clear winner by many observers. However, the judges scored the fight differently, with one seeing it as a draw and the other two giving Buatsi the edge by a slim margin.

Feeling disheartened, Parker, who is expecting another child, felt the decision was unjust, believing he had outperformed Buatsi in nearly every round. Buatsi, on the other hand, acknowledged his performance was not his best but celebrated the victory, criticizing Parker’s defensive strategy during the bout.

Looking ahead, Buatsi aims to face the winner of the upcoming world title fight between Anthony Yarde and David Benavidez in Saudi Arabia. In another controversial decision that night, Liam Cameron secured a win over Troy Jones despite Jones dominating parts of the fight.

Promoter Eddie Hearn disclosed potential dates for Anthony Joshua’s return to the ring, suggesting he may appear on an undercard event in California on December 13 or in Riyadh on December 27. Additionally, there were talks of a possible match between Joshua and Jake Paul before Christmas, as Paul seeks a new opponent following accusations against Gervonta Davis.