MANCHESTER, England – Joshua Buatsi can look forward to a shot at a light heavyweight world title belt after squeaking past Zach Parker at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena.

After 10 scrappy rounds, Buatsi escaped with a close, controversial majority decision. Many at ringside believed Parker had done more than enough to win.

Back in February, Buatsi (20-1, 13 KOs) lost his perfect record and his WBO interim light heavyweight title to Callum Smith in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

That the fight was one of the most action packed, exciting of 2025 was of little comfort to the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist.

After spending some time coming to terms with the defeat, the 32-year-old threw himself back into training and, following the conclusion of his promotional contract with Boxxer, decided to commit his future to Queensberry.

Although he returned and beat the unfashionable Parker (26-2, 18 KOs), his disappointing performance raises more questions than it answers.

Buatsi looked physically the stronger of the two during a scruffy opening round, but although he had the best of it, the most eye-catching shot was a right uppercut from Parker that dislodged Buatsi’s mouthpiece.

The fight was Parker’s most meaningful since a broken hand forced him to retire after four rounds of a WBO interim super middleweight title fight with John Ryder back in 2022. It was crucial that the 31-year-old from Derby make it through the early stages with his confidence intact and his movement, speed and tactic of landing single shots before tying Buatsi up was proving to be effective.

Buatsi couldn’t work Parker out and ate a series of sweeping right hands in the fourth. But his sheer physicality did appear to be taking its toll on Parker, who dropped to the canvas in clinches time and time again and was having to work hard for his successes.

Parker was clearly tiring and the fight became messier and messier. A one-paced Buatsi walked forward but found it difficult to land cleanly or consistently on the slippery Parker, who would throw one shot and move or clinch to buy himself time.

A look of frustration passed across Buatsi’s face in the eighth as Parker sank to the canvas for the umpteenth time, but he was doing precious little to take advantage of the tiring man in front of him, resorting to following him and clubbing away with inaccurate shots in the clinch.

Combination punching was at a premium from either man from the opening bell. But although constantly moving was draining Parker, he was still managing to pick and poke single shots to the body and the occasional right over the top.

As the final round started, Parker’s corner clearly felt they were on the verge of an unlikely victory, Buatsi, seemingly, didn’t feel the same way. There was a lack of urgency to his work, and the round petered out, much the way the previous nine had.

The fight went to the scorecards and Buatsi was awarded a tight majority decision. The scores were 95-95, 96-94 96-94.