THE RESULT: Despite a scare in the second round, and a scare in the last, Zach Parker was able to survive and outpoint Germany’s Tyron Zeuge over 10 rounds in Birmingham tonight (March 16). Dropped in round two, and clearly hampered by an injured ankle in fight’s final minutes, Parker won the majority of the rounds in between these moments to take a decision by scores of 96-94, 97-92 and 98-91.
KEY MOMENTS: Cocky and seemingly comfortable in round one, Parker then let complacency get the better of him in round two and nearly paid the price for it. Moving and switching stance with regularity, Parker boxed with his hands down throughout and this offered Zeuge hope and opportunities, especially in round two, the round in which he landed a big right and rocked Parker to his boots. This shot was then followed a little later by a right uppercut in close with forced Parker to touch down on the canvas with both gloves. He recovered well in the next round, however, and by the fourth was in control, keeping Zeuge at bay, and well on his way to victory.
RECORDS: Parker, 29, moves his pro record to 24-1 (17), while Zeuge, 31, falls to 27-2-1 (15).
TALKING POINT: As confusing as it may have been for Zeuge, his opponent, the frequency with which Parker switched stance had even Parker confused at times. Indeed, early on, particularly in the second round, there was a sense Parker was doing too much switching and that Zeuge was quite enjoying catching him between the orthodox and southpaw stances with his wild right hand. It was of course this punch he used to good effect in round two and it was no coincidence, either, that Parker found himself in trouble having just switched stance.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT: Since losing in unsatisfactory circumstances against John Ryder in November 2022, Parker has boxed twice, including tonight’s win against Zeuge. His previous fight, a seventh-round stoppage of Khalid Graidia, did little for Parker’s reputation in the super-middleweight division, but this will get him back closer to where he thinks he belongs. At 29, too, he is just coming into his prime as an athlete and will therefore next be looking to take a fight similar to the Ryder one in 2022.
