Zach Parker exclusive: I’ll put on a good performance

This weekend, Zach Parker had been due to box Willy Hutchinson in a meaningful, intriguing light heavyweight fight.

The fight had been given a prime position on the undercard of the heavyweight fight between Derek Chisora and Otto Wallin which takes place at Manchester’s new Co-Op Live Arena on Saturday night. For all the latest fight odds, visit our sportsbook.

On Monday, news broke that Hutchinson had suffered a dislocated shoulder during training and had been forced to withdraw. Parker will still appear but, at the time of writing, matchmakers were scouring the globe for a suitable opponent.

Best laid plans and all that.

Just days before the news of Hutchinson’s withdrawal broke, Parker, 25-1 (18 KOs), spoke to 32Red about just how much he was looking forward to the fight.

“I’ve been waiting for a big fight”

As Parker spared the time to talk, it would be rude not to share his thoughts on the cavalier Scotsman. Hopefully, it gives an early insight into his thoughts before a rearranged date.

“It’s a cracking opponent. Yeah, it’s a really good fight for me. I’ve been waiting for a big fight like this for a while,” Parker said when he still expected to be fighting Hutchinson.

“Willy’s last few opponents have been quite good. Obviously, Buatsi and an ageing Craig Richards.

“He lost quite easy in the Buatsi fight, in my opinion and Craig Richards didn’t really look like the fighter that he did when he boxed Buatsi so maybe a bit of age coming in there.

“But yeah, I’m going into this fight fully confident and ready for whatever he has to bring to the table.”

Boxing can be the most unpredictable sport in the world and as well prepared as Parker was for whatever Hutchinson may have brought to the table, he will now need to park those plans up to one side and deal with a late substitute.

The fight with Hutchinson would have set Parker on a definite path but whilst this weekend’s fight will now be a standalone affair, it will still serve a useful purpose. After spending his career as a super middleweight, this will be his first official fight as a light heavyweight. Parker has been a professional for nine years and has had to spend the vast majority of it within striking distance of the 168lb limit.

“I’m feeling good at the weight”

Hutchinson’s injury has deprived him of the chance of recording a meaningful, high profile win but he will still get a good idea of how it feels to compete at a higher weight.

“I’m feeling really good at the weight to be fair. I think it’s been a long time coming, really. I’m getting a bit older now – I’m 30 – so it’s natural that your body grows as you get older and obviously it gets a bit of a struggle,” he said.

“If there was a big fight at the super middle, I could probably make it, but I’ve definitely grown into the weight quite good and gained a bit of size and I’m feeling really good at the weight.

“Obviously, you don’t want to be boiling yourself down, especially when you’re coming to this stage of your career.”

There is another positive to be found in what, let’s be honest, is a nightmare scenario.

Parker still has the chance to fight on a major show and display his talents to a worldwide audience. Although Chisora is reaching the end of his remarkable career, his fights still attract plenty of attention and a sizeable crowd should assemble at the Co-Op Live Arena to witness his final appearance on British soil and wave goodbye to one of the most colourful characters British boxing has seen in recent years.

Fighting at the biggest indoor arena in Europe on Chisora’s farewell night gives Parker a massive platform on which to announce himself as an eye-catching, dangerous addition to the light heavyweight division, regardless of who he ends up fighting.

“Yeah, 100%. There ain’t many big shows outside of Riyadh at the minute,” Parker said.

“I think a lot of the promoters are all concentrating on that. I think it’s obviously to do with money and obviously the fights being made between promoters. So yeah, outside of that, this is probably one of the main cards.

“I’m really looking forward to it and putting on a good performance for all the travelling Derby fans.

“It’s brand new, it’s good to box in these different locations and I’ve got a good track record up in Manchester.”

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