Zach Parker hoping a win over Jack Arnfield will provide a stepping stone to light heavyweight glory
Zach Parker (24-1, 17KO) is ready to make his ring return, facing experienced British title contender Jack Arnfield (26-3, 6KO) on July 20 at the Resorts World Arena KO in Birmingham.
Derbyshire’s Parker last stepped between the ropes in March, being knocked down in the second segment by former WBA World super-middleweight champion Tyron Zeuge but managing to weather the storm and leave the ring with a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over the German, whose lost just twice in 30 bouts.
While the British prospect mostly made his name at super middleweight, his upcoming showdown with Arnfield is scheduled to take place just below the 175lbs light heavyweight limit.
Speaking of the upcoming bout, the 30-year-old appeared excited by the opportunity to share the stage with battle-hardened Arnfield, whose challenged for the British title twice.
“I think he’s going to bring it. He’s come back, had a fight this year and I think he’s going to take it with both hands,” Parker revealed to Seconds Out.
“If he beats me he’ll probably be up there with the big lads again. I think it’s probably one of his last chance saloons to get onto the bigger cards.
“I’m looking forward to a good fight, and see what he still has left. Like I say, I didn’t have a date until only a few weeks ago, so I’m relishing the chance to get out there again.”
Looking to the future, the Derbyshire fighter feels a win this weekend could propel him towards some bigger and better things.
“At the minute, a lot of the British lads are at light heavy. There’s a lot of big fights at light heavy so we will have to wait and see. Fully focus on Jack Arnfield first and then we can look at these big lads after.”
While Arnfield may have some big names on his resume, such as John Ryder and Brian Rose, he has only fought once since a six-year retirement following a loss to Tommy Langford in 2018.
Parker is still hungry and on the rise, so the upcoming bout appears to be a spectacle between prospects old and new.
The British veteran, 35 from Blackpool, will have to be weary of his counterpart’s power, with Parker boasting a 70% stoppage rate throughout his career.
A win for Arnfield, who was also born in Derbyshire, making this matchup a derby, would see his dwindling career truly get back on track and could set him up for some title elimination fights at either light heavyweight or super middle.