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British light-heavyweight Buatsi made a winning yet underwhelming debut to life under fresh promotional backing with a unanimous decision over Parker in the Manchester arena.

The Olympic medal winner's work rate likely gained him a judges' verdict in a tight ten-round bout at the Manchester venue.

But Parker found success, connecting with powerful clean blows in a match where the approaches didn't complement each other, with excessive holding disrupting the action.

Two judges had it 96-94 to the winner, with the remaining official a 95-95 draw.

"It wasn't my finest showing but what defines champions? They prevail," Buatsi stated in the ring as he was faced disapproval from the audience.

The British fighter bounced back after his maiden career setback - an epic battle with Callum Smith in February - to earn a twentieth professional win.

Several boxing experts felt Parker, 31, merited the win but the British boxer experienced the second setback of his 28-match professional journey.

The Champion Secures Win in Uneventful Affair

The fighter's advancement has plateaued in recent times through contract problems and long spells of lack of fights.

Earlier forecast as the rising talent of UK boxing, he now finds himself trying to fulfil that early promise - maybe in what seems like a final roll of the dice - under recent support.

He began cautiously, with the two boxers ready to take risks in a calculated opening few rounds.

The challenger, whose single earlier setback came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in 2022 after damaging his hand mid-fight, was making just his second bout at light heavyweight.

By the middle rounds, the underdog had kept it close, creating difficulties for Buatsi, who worked behind a tight guard to barely take the more effective rounds.

The spectators' acceptance wore thin because of regular grabbing, with Parker going down several times during grappling.

Parker closed well, but multiple periods were hard to judge. Nevertheless, former world champion the boxing analyst - working with the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for Parker, giving Buatsi just one round.

Buatsi progresses, but with the caliber of hard hitter David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Bivol leading the category, the path to championship success - on this evidence - still seems difficult.

Hatton Tribute Motivates Manchester Derby Contest

In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur beat Rea by close verdict in a outstanding Manchester vs Manchester fight to secure the European light heavyweight belt.

The stadium grew hushed for a profoundly moving tribute ahead of the contest as a bell ceremony tolled in remembrance of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who succumbed at age 46 in last month.

It was the initial significant broadcast fight night in the city since the passing of Hatton. As the final chime disappeared, the quiet became a chant of "only one Hatton".

The fighting within the ring matched the emotion. The eventual winner was knocked down by a powerful punch directly to the chin in the early round, rising shakily to his position on the count of eight.

But the Manchester United-red attire of the fighter soon came forward again. Across the ring, the opponent - in competitive blue - was marked up soon, noticeable damage developing under his face as the fighters exchanged powerful shots.

The challenger, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but Arthur, thirty-four, matched the intensity with effective uppercuts as the intensity hardly diminished over the full distance.

Arthur edged the result with official scores of even score, narrow lead and 115-112, but each competitor were persistent and courageous, all the qualities their idol Hatton stood for.