Sure, it was against someone with only one bout in six years, but Zach Parker displayed brief flashes of the world-ranked contender a fight away from boxing Canelo Álvarez at 168lbs. Instead, a badly broken hand saw the recently-retired John Ryder seize the WBO interim title and a career-high payday in Mexico last May, and now the Derby man prepares to linger between two weight classes.
I feel back to myself, Parker declares
- British heavyweight contender Frazer Clarke tells October Red on his friend Parker moving up to 175lbs: “Buatsi-Hutchinson, Anthony Yarde, Lyndon Arthur are all good fights for him. The weekend was good but do another builder, tougher test and then he’ll be ready for those big boys…”
- Making sacrifices: Zach Parker insists he’s back on track after stepping up on short-notice for a second fight in four months while his friends were away celebrating his own stag do – the 30-year-old getting married soon
- Derby man keeping options open after Anthony Yarde callout last year, maintains interest in campaigning at light-heavyweight as the domestic scene is buzzing and Canelo planning Edgar Berlanga bout
AFTER the false start that March proved to be in rather jarring fashion for Zach Parker, there is finally lift-off for his 2024 prospects after a fourth-round stoppage win over Jack Arnfield on the weekend. Super-middle or light-heavy, he’s ready to immerse himself in either weight division to finally satisfy world-level opportunities.
The caveat being that, well, Arnfield had only boxed once since 2018 – a six-round decision win over Robbie Chapman in May – having lost a UD12 for British honours at middleweight in his last appearance. Parker was making his 15th pro appearance that same night on ITV Box Office as part of the Groves-Eubank Jr undercard.
How time flies before you know it. Groves has been retired almost six full years and immersed himself in boxing analysis, Eubank Jr recently signed a promotional partnership with BOXXER but yet to make his return ten months removed from avenging a startling stoppage defeat by Liam Smith his own in Manchester.
Parker was twice slated to box two-weight world champion Demetrius Andrade for the WBO interim super-middleweight world title, first in May 2022, before injury postponed their original Pride Park date and a far less lucrative share of the purse bid prompted the American to withdraw before their November rebooking.
Khalid Graidia, Tyron Zeuge and the aforementioned Arnfield aren’t exactly world-beaters but two stoppage victories and a UD10 win at the expense of a former world champion is nothing to be sniffed at, though progression comes at a steady cost during a period where time isn’t on his side at 30, nine years deep into the pro game.
Canelo Álvarez will likely be stripped of the IBF world title, as he prepares to defend his unified titles against Edgar Berlanga in September. Top-ranked contenders William Scull and Vladimir Shishkin will then be called to box for vacant honours, in a division lacking star power. Parker probing for British names makes sense.
Not only can domestic duels provide a higher earning potential given the interest, but also open him up to a wider audience especially if he can become the latest Queensberry fighter to strike gold on a Saudi-backed card, whether that be in Riyadh or closer to home comforts like the Wembley card coming up in two months’ time.
“There’s a lot of British fights out there at light-heavyweight, this one [fight] was made at 12st 4lbs, imagine me at 12st 7lbs against these top lads.
I’ve got dynamite in both hands, we’ve got Willy Hutchinson and Joshua Buatsi coming up soon, I’ll have any one of them. If there are big fights at super-middle, I can still get back down there but my options are open.”
Picture source: Queensberry / Stephen Dunkley unless stated
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