Join the Miguel Delaney Inside Football Get exclusive insights and behind-the scenes access to the Miguel Delaney: inside newsletter Football NewsletterJoin the Miguel Delaney inside Football NewsletterJoshua buatsi defeated Zach Parker with a thrashing on Saturday in Manchester. The fight was a bad one. After ten rounds of scoring, two judges sided with Buatsi, the narrow winner. A third judge, however, returned a draw verdict. There was a divide at ringside and there was obviously a divide in the opposing corners.There has been outrage on social media at the decision, as there was in 2022 over Josh Taylor’s contentious win over Jack Catterall, with some ridiculous claims. There were a few experts who disagreed, but this is common in brutal fights where men cancel each other out. It was 96-94 for Buatsi twice and a drawn score of 95-95. This decision puts Buatsi into position to face the winner of David Benavidez and Anthony Yarde on 22 November. Parker and Buatsi’s scores were so close that just a few rounds could have changed the outcome. This is not a robbery but a close decision. Every week, there’s a new debate on judging standards. It is not new. This is when officials score fights at the ringside. The furious discussion can then turn to the tired assertion that boxing was crooked and fixed by criminals. Brown envelopes are used as currency for corruption by promoters and managers. Fixers, officials, and officials themselves get dragged in. We don’t need fixed fights because we have matchmakers who know how to find the right fighters and boxers that are willing to take risks. They are addicted to money, drugs and gambling. They also love booze, sex, booze, and sex. I’m sure there are one or two I missed out. It is their addiction that makes them vulnerable, as there’s never enough money to fill the envelope. As a result, they get caught up in their greed. It’s always money that brings people down in other sports – it is odd that it never happens in boxing, meaning that there are no brown envelopes and judges just see and hear and record different things during volatile nights in the ringside pit.open image in galleryJosh Buatsi (left) and Zach Parker during their Light Heavyweight bout (Nick Potts/PA Wire)There are hundreds of tales of hardship and heartbreak in boxing and they are down to bad management, poor advice and awful legal representation. These dreadful crimes are committed far away from the ring. Don King, perhaps boxing’s most tricky promoter, summarized the situation perfectly in his timeless axiom. “ln boxing, you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate.” King believed, and made jokes about it, that signing a contract was only the first step in the negotiation. Quickly observing the three judges at work during the Parker-Buatsi match reveals a flaw with the selection of so-called pliant, willing or outright corrupt judges. Buatsi, you see, has just signed a highly lucrative and publicised deal with Frank Warren, the promoter of Saturday night’s fight. Buatsi has just suffered a setback in February. Everyone knew that the Parker match would be tough. Warren clearly wanted Buatsi’s main fighter to win the fight and advance to a title bout. Grzegorz Moenda, the judge that scored it as a draw in a close fight last September, voted against Buatsi. Why would Warren put Molenda in the ring with him if the business was so corrupt? I find it difficult to reconcile the contradictions in this statement. “boxing is crooked” debate. The debate about whether boxing is fair or not is old. DAZN offers 185+ boxing fights per year. Don’t miss any of the top fights. Buy NowADVERTISEMENT. We will receive commission if you subscribe to this service. Enjoy 185+ boxing fights per year on DAZN. The Global Home of BoxingNever Miss a Fight from Top Promoters. You can watch anywhere and anytime. Buy Now. This service will earn us commission if you sign up. The Independent relies on this revenue to support its journalism. The people around them shout and make statements in their personal space. In the midst of a heated debate, they may feel threatened, jostled or pushed around. They must remain calm, professional and give a fair judgment. This can be a very difficult job. By the way, most referees are also judges. Open image in galleryZach Parker during his Light Heavyweight fight against Josh Buatsi. (Nick Potts/PA Wire). On Saturday night, Buatsi fought Parker on multiple levels. It was an ugly clash at times. Buatsi says Parker did not do enough. Parker claims he has never lost a match. This is what happens when there’s a lot at stake. Three men made a close call. They might have watched it without sound, and scored it differently. This happens when sanctioning authorities react to the hysteria after a close match. Buatsi wants to fight for the world title, Parker wants revenge. This is boxing. A sport where small margins can alter a person’s life. No one ever said that it was fair.
2025-11-03 09:19:54
Joshua Buatsi vs Zach Parker was no robbery, and here is the awkward contradiction
