A highly disputed majority decision in favour of Joshua Buatsi against Zach Parker has sparked outrage following their light-heavyweight encounter at Manchester's Co-op Live Arena on Saturday evening.
The 31-year-old Derby boxer fell to his knees in disbelief when the scorecards were announced, with numerous spectators at ringside convinced Parker had dominated the 10-round contest.
The bout, which saw the 32-year-old Londoner emerge victorious despite what many considered an inferior display, has prompted fierce debate about the quality of boxing judging.
Parker, who entered as the underdog, appeared to control much of the action according to multiple observers, leaving the Manchester crowd audibly dissatisfied with the official verdict.
Joshua Buatsi won in controversial settings against Zach Parker
|PA
The judges' scorecards read 95-95, 96-94 and 96-94 in Buatsi's favour, a result that left Parker incensed.
"I am fuming, I won it easy," Parker declared post-fight. "I should be changing my daughter and unborn baby's life."
The Derby fighter maintained he had comprehensively outclassed his opponent throughout the contest.
"He never won a round or landed a punch on me," Parker insisted. "I should be the champion. Everyone has eyes, he never landed a clean shot on me."
Parker's assessment was that he dominated virtually the entire bout. "I won literally almost every round," he stated. "If I outbox him and he can't even touch me, I should be champion now and going on to bigger fights."
Zach Parker was furious after Joshua Buatsi claimed victory over him
|PA
Buatsi acknowledged his lacklustre showing whilst maintaining the legitimacy of his win.
"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 Olympic bronze medallist stated.
The contest deteriorated into a messy affair with persistent clinching, resulting in Parker repeatedly falling to the canvas. Both competitors blamed their opponent for the untidy exchanges.
Parker defended his actions, explaining: "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."
Buatsi countered these claims, stating: "You can't be on the floor about six times and claim you won the fight."
Joshua Buatsi admitted it was not his best performance
|PA
Broadcasting pundit Carl Frampton's scorecard painted a starkly different picture, awarding Buatsi merely a single round throughout the entire contest.
The DAZN commentary team similarly scored the bout heavily in Parker's favour, reflecting widespread ringside sentiment that a miscarriage of justice had occurred.
The 2016 Olympic bronze medallist's victory marks his return to winning ways following his first professional defeat to Callum Smith in February, improving his record to 20-1.
A distraught Zach Parker reacts to defeat by Joshua Buatsi 😤#BuatsiParker | Live NOW on DAZN ▪️ pic.twitter.com/VMLtTOLR2d
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) November 1, 2025
Parker's record drops to 26-2, though the controversial nature of the decision has already generated discussion about a potential rematch.
However, the tedious nature of the contest, marred by excessive holding and limited clean exchanges, may discourage promoter Frank Warren from pursuing an immediate return bout between the British light-heavyweights.