Joshua Buatsi and Zach Parker head a stacked card of British light heavyweight action in Manchester on Saturday night.
A local derby provides the chief support at Co-op Live, with Manchester City fan Bradley Rea defending his European title against former world title challenger and Manchester United fan Lyndon Arthur.
Liam Cameron returns from his two-fight series against Ben Whittaker with a 10-rounder against Troy Jones, while local hope Billy Deniz will look to move to 14-0 as a professional versus another former Whittaker foe Ezra Arenyeka.
But Buatsi and Parker justifiably have top billing and the chance to put themselves in the title conversation in a division where undisputed champion Dimitry Bivol is currently recuperating from back surgery.
Bivol is eyeing a return in the first quarter of 2026. Buatsi being ranked fifth with the WBC and sixth with the WBO means the winner of this one could be thrust firmly into the Bivol conversation if the Russian opts against an immediate trilogy showdown with his great rival Artur Beterbiev.
The Sporting News’ Dom Farrell looks at the odds for this fight and makes a final prediction.
Joshua Buatsi vs. Zach Parker odds
Per the FanDuel Sportsbook, Joshua Buatsi is the -650 favorite, while Zach Parker is the +420 underdog.
Joshua Buatsi vs. Zach Parker betting trends
Via the FanDuel Sportsbook:
- Buatsi via KO/TKO: -135
- Buatsi via decision: +200
- Parker via KO/TKO: +1000
- Parker via decision: +650
- Draw: +1500
Joshua Buatsi vs. Zach Parker prediction
Buatsi has the challenge of coming into this fight on the back of a first career defeat to Callum Smith on the Beterbiev vs. Bivol 2 undercard in Riyadh back in February.
The Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medalist performed admirably in a fight of the year contender but he will have to enter the ring for the first time as a professional knowing he can be beaten.
The 32-year-old showed reserves of grit and desire that had not been previously required during a feathered and slow-moving pro career. Nevertheless, it is probably a good sign that Buatsi baulks at the notion of his stock rising in defeat.
“The feedback from me has been good, everything, but the result is still the same,” he told Boxing Scene. “If you’ve been on BoxRec today or whenever it is, you’re still going to go on there and see his last fight he lost, and that’s what people remember and that’s what people see. So, I mean, there’s been good feedback for me and everything but, ultimately, I didn’t come out on top. Sometimes I think there’s nothing to talk about. Yeah, it was a good fight, great. But I didn’t come on top.”
Parker had to reckon with this feeling after his retirement loss to Jack Ryder at super middleweight, when a horrific broken wrist forced him to pull out in the fourth round. It’s tough to think of a more sharply contrasting defeat to Buatsi’s against Smith, where both men’s bodies allowed them to get deep into the trenches.
The 31-year-old is 4-0 since leaving 168 pounds behind, but he has always weighed in underneath the light heavyweight limit. Buatsi is a fully fledged, career-long 175-pounder.
Aside from the general consensus that Buatsi has a notable edge in terms of skill and overall ringcraft, there is the concern for Parker that he might not have the pop in his shots to disuade his rival. Similarly, the Derby man being badly wobbled and forced to touch down in the second round of his win over Tyron Zeuge last year is hard to shift from the imagination.
Buatsi’s advantages in most departments best explain the short odds for a stoppage win. But Dan Azeez, Willy Hutchinson and Craig Richards have all taken the Londoner 12 rounds and Parker can be competitive enough to get to the final bell, perhaps having to get off the floor to do so.
Dom Farrell prediction: Buatsi via UD 12 (+200)
