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Zach Parker 22-0 (16) will face former two-weight world champion Demetrius ‘Boo Boo’ Andrade 31-0 (19) for the WBO interim super middleweight title at the Pride Park Stadium, home of Derby County FC, on May 21.
“I am obviously over the moon and it is a dream for me,” said the 27-year-old Parker. “Fighting for the interim title against one of the best out there in Andrade, a two-weight world champion and awkward southpaw.
“I am ready for it and he has made a bad decision coming over to Derby in front of what will be a hostile crowd at Pride Park. He is coming up a weight as well, so nothing is in his favour.
“I just can’t wait now,” he added, before reflecting on the gesture of donating £10 from every ticket sold back to his team in a time of financial strife.
“I said with us doing it at Pride Park that we need to give something back to Derby because they are going through hard times. With £10 from each ticket going to the club what more incentive is there needed for fans to get behind me now?
“It is amazing to be able to do it and hopefully it will help out the club.
“Derby is such a big team and we need a winner to get behind. I’ll be that winner. I am undefeated in 22 fights and Derby is such a good county and on May 21 everyone will see what Derby is all about.
“We are going to light up Pride Park,” is Parker’s prediction, another being that the reign of Andrade will come to an abrupt conclusion.
“My style is all wrong for everyone. Every time I face someone I change my style to work in my favour.
“I think he is on his last legs and his promoter hasn’t got behind him, has he? Not like my promoter, that is what you are meant to do and get behind your fighter. He is 34, coming up a weight against someone who is big for the weight. You could see that in my last fight against Marcus Morrison, when a middleweight comes up I just put them to sleep.
“Trust me, I will be the first to stop Andrade and I haven’t been as confident about anything in my life. I’ve been waiting for these big fights to show what I am about and on May 21 everyone will know who Zach Parker is.”
Promoter Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions said earlier this week: “There can be no questioning the pedigree of Demetrius Andrade. It is why we went above and beyond to win the purse bid to give our man every crucial advantage.
“It is going to be such a special night on 21st May and I feel sure the Derby public will come out in force to roar Zach on in the biggest fight of his career.
“When we teamed up with Zach he revealed his dream of fighting at Pride Park – where he is a dedicated supporter of his home team – and we set about making his dream become a reality. Added to that, the £10 going to the club is something I hope inspires the fans to come and support Zach and DCFC in even larger numbers than we predict.
“We have done this before in recent years for Josh Warrington in Leeds and Carl Frampton in Belfast and both were successful on magical nights. I see no reason at all why Zach cannot experience similar joy.
“Andrade is top-drawer and we know this, but he is moving up a weight to super middle, which is natural territory for Zach and he is a monster at the weight.
“Other British and Irish fighters have struggled to fathom out Andrade, but Zach is the complete package. Not only does he carry a huge punch, but he is also tall and technical with an excellent boxing brain.”
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