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UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet underwhelming beginning to life under new promoters with a decision win over Parker in the Manchester arena.

The Olympic medal winner's activity level appeared to earn him a majority decision in a tight ten-round fight at the Manchester venue.

But the challenger found success, landing some telling individual punches in a match where the styles didn't complement each other, with excessive holding disrupting the contest.

The officials judged it 96-94 for to Buatsi, with the remaining official a 95-95 draw.

"It wasn't my greatest display but what defines champions? They win," Buatsi said in the ringside as he was greeted with disapproval from the spectators.

The British fighter got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in last winter - to secure a twentieth professional win.

Several boxing experts felt the challenger, 31, should have been awarded the victory but the Derbyshire fighter suffered the second loss of his 28-match career.

The Champion Claims Win in Slow Match

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

Previously predicted as the next star of British boxing, he now stands trying to realize his potential - maybe in what appears to be a ultimate opportunity - under fresh management.

He began cautiously, with both competitors ready to be aggressive in a calculated opening few rounds.

Parker, whose only previous defeat came at the lower weight class against John Ryder in 2022 after damaging his hand mid-fight, was making just his second fight at light heavyweight.

By the fight's midpoint, the underdog had stayed in contention, creating difficulties for the favorite, who worked behind a tight guard to barely take the better stanzas.

The spectators' acceptance diminished amid regular grabbing, with Parker falling to the floor various instances during close exchanges.

Parker finished the stronger, but many rounds were hard to judge. However, former world champion Carl Frampton - commentating on Dazn - had it particularly wide for Parker, scoring for Buatsi just only one stanza.

Buatsi moves on, but with the caliber of heavy hitter David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the road to world glory - based on this performance - still seems difficult.

Hatton Homage Inspires All-Manchester Battle

In the secondary fight, Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by split-decision in a terrific local rivalry contest to capture the European light-heavyweight title.

The venue fell silent for a deeply poignant homage prior to the bout as a bell ceremony rang in memory of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who died aged 46 in recently.

It was the first major televised fight night in the urban center since the passing of Hatton. As the final chime faded, the quiet gave way to a chant of "only one Ricky Hatton".

The action inside the ropes equaled the emotion. Arthur was sent to the canvas by a left hook flush on the jaw in the second round, standing uncertainly to his position on the referee's count.

But the Manchester United-red shorts of the fighter soon advanced again. From the other corner, the opponent - in competitive blue - was damaged soon, significant bruising developing under his orbital area as the duo exchanged hard punches.

The challenger, 27, delivered effective strikes but the champion, thirty-four, responded in kind with effective uppercuts as the intensity hardly diminished over twelve rounds.

The victor edged the verdict with judges scorecards of even score, narrow lead and 115-112, but the two athletes were persistent and courageous, everything their idol Hatton represented.