Buatsi Gets WBA Majority Win Over Parker, Arthur Gets Majority Win Over Rea for EBU – Video Highlights
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Manchester, UK (November 3rd, 2025)– On a DAZN Queensberry Promotions card entitled ‘Lights Out’, there were 12 bouts at Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester, United Kingdom, on Saturday evening, November 1, 2025. Eleven bouts went to a decision, while one bout ended in a first-round knockout. The two main event bouts went to a majority decision at ten and twelve rounds.
Somehow, light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi, 20-1 with 13 knockouts, Croyton, London, United Kingdom, was awarded a 10-round decision over Zach Parker, now 26-2 with 13 knockouts, Woodville, Derbyshire, United Kingdom, by scores of 96-94, 96-94, and 95-95. The controversial verdict turned heads. Former world champion Carl Frampton at ringside gave Joshua Buatsi one round at best. Real Combat Media scored the bout 96-94 for Parker.
The preliminary to the main event featured frequent holding and limited action. According to the post-fight interview with The Stomping Ground, Zach Parker stated the decision announcing he lost was a f**king joke. “I am fuming. I won it (the 10-round decision over Joshua Buatsi) easily. I outjabbed him all night, and every single person I spoke to between the ring and the dressing room told me I won. I am only in boxing to better my family’s life, so you’ll take it away from me is a joke. I should be changing my daughter and unborn baby’s life with this win. He never won a round or landed a punch on me. Everyone has eyes; he never landed a clean shot on me. I am p***ed off. It’s a joke. I gave him one early round; he couldn’t catch me, I was comfortable.”
Parker counterpunched to the body and then held, at times slipping to the canvas. Buatsi had some offense, but it was Parker’s hold-and-run tactics that left the 2016 Ghana bronze medalist stifled for the most part. Buatsi tried to keep the fight confined to the center ring. Most of his jabs missed. Parker did enough technical bodywork to win. The contrast in styles left the bout difficult to score. Nobody in the house acted like the bout needed a rematch. Perhaps Parker’s holding and running tactics did not impress the judges. As ‘The running man’, Parker was a difficult target.
Buatsi threw more, while Parker landed more. According to CompuBox, Buatsi only connected on 21% of his punches, but still managed to win the fight on two of the judges’ cards. Parker landed 31 more power punches than Buatsi, and averaged 10 punches landed per round while Buatsi averaged 8. Buatsi landed 76 of 368 total punches thrown for a 20 percent success ratio, while Parker landed 100 of 326 total punches thrown for a 30 percent success ratio. Parker landed 66 power shots to Buatsi’s 31 power shots. Buatsi landed 45 jabs to Parker’s 34 jabs. Still, the number of punches and power punches landed was a clear mandate to everybody but the judges in the house; Parker won the bout.
Result: Joshua Buatsi won by majority decision in 12 rounds over Zach Parker to win he vacant World Boxing Association International Light Heavyweight title. Scoring went 96-94, 96-94 for Buatsi, and 95-95 a draw.
Other Co-op Live Arena Manchester Results
Lyndon Arthur won a majority decision in 12 rounds over Bradley Rea to win the European Light heavyweight title. Scoring went 115-113, 115-112 for Arthur, and 114-114 a draw. Arthur was down in the second round.
Light heavyweight Liam Cameron outpointed Troy Jones in 10 rounds.
Light heavyweight Billy Deniz outpointed Eworitse Ezra Arenyika in eight rounds.
Super lightweight Khalil Majid outpointed David Ryan in eight rounds.
Middleweight Stephen Clarke outpointed 2-18 Costa Rican journeyman Jose Aguirre in eight rounds.
Super featherweight Leighton Birchall outpointed Wilbert Panttin over four rounds.
Welterweight Luke Prior, in his pro debut, outpointed 2-13-2 Mexican journeyman Eduardo Vera Sanchez in four rounds.
Super flyweight John Varey, in his pro debut, outpointed 3-10-1 Mexican journeyman Brandon Gallardo Vargas in four rounds.
Cruiserweight Bradley Casey knocked out Antonio Brovina at 1:06 of the first round. Borovina was down once before being counted out by referee John Latham.
Light heavyweight Leon Hughes won a four-round decision over 9-49-4 Slovak journeyman Pavel Garaj.
8-0 Super featherweight Jermaine Dhliwayo of the St. Pancras Boxing Club of London opened the card, winning a four-round decision over 18-30-1 Peruvian journeyman Cesar Ignacio Paredes.
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