Almost every young boxer finds it easy to move tickets for their professional debut.

Family, friends, and friends of friends buy into the idea of watching somebody they know fight and they snap up the allocation.

The novelty quickly wears off and, for all but the lucky few, persuading those same people to part with their money becomes a harder and harder task.

Interest picks back up if and when they reach title level or make it onto television screens but can quickly dwindle again if fans feel like they have plateaued or are treading water.

Keeping those fans invested doesn’t get any easier. It is a challenge for fighters at every level of the sport.

World-ranked Zach Parker (26-1, 18 KOs) has been patiently searching for the type of opponent that will not only test him mentally and physically but also reignite public interest in him.

After a quiet couple of years, the highly rated light heavyweight has finally snared a big name. On November 1, the 31-year-old from Derby will fight former WBO interim 175 pound champion, Joshua Buatsi (19-1, 13 KOs) at Manchester’s Co-Op Live Arena and he can’t wait to remind people what he is capable of.

“Well, it's hard to get out of bed, really,” Parker told The Ring about the frustrations of waiting for a big fight.

“You keep telling all your fans, 'The next one is going to be a big fight. This one is a big fight.'

“My last fight was meant to be against Willy Hutchinson. He pulled out three or four days before the fight, it didn’t really help.

“You can't really see Buatsi pulling out. He's always been a professional in the past with his fights so I'm buzzing. The whole of Derby is buzzing. Everyone’s getting behind me and I'm ready to go up to Manchester and take it with both hands.”

Parker - who is ranked at No. 3 by the WBO - has been on the verge of breaking through at the highest level once before.

He spent years as a respected but avoided super middleweight, collecting titles and working his way through the world rankings. Eventually, Queensberry took a chance on him and he grasped his opportunity with both hands. Three consecutive knockout wins increased his popularity and secured him a WBO interim title fight with the well known John Ryder in November 2022.

A badly broken hand brought a swift end to the fight and he had to sit at home and and watch Ryder challenge Canelo Alvarez for the undisputed 168 pound title.

Since then, Parker has been looking for a way back.

He outpointed former WBA belt holder, Tyron Zeuge, and - when Hutchinson withdrew from their fight - he remained focused and beat the tough, underrated Frenchman, Mickael Diallo, in his first real test at 175lbs.

In Buatsi, he has finally found an opponent with the credentials and star power to take him to a new level. He knows that a win over the WBO’s No. 6 ranked contender will put him squarely in the mix for a world title shot.

“Sometimes there's a lot of fights that get talked about and then they somehow don't come off. The promoters change their minds on certain fights and, us boxers, we're just the ones waiting to get a shot,” he said.

“I've been in the game for a long time. As soon as I see my face on a poster, that’s when I know the fight's on so, yeah, I'm raring for it now.

“I've been waiting for a shot like this. Obviously, Buatsi’s a big name. He’s been to Olympics and whatnot and came from the GB squad. That's exactly how I'm going into this fight, just knowing what's on for the next bit.”