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British light heavyweight Buatsi earned a win yet unimpressive debut to life under recent management with a points victory over Parker in the Manchester arena.

The Olympic medal winner's activity level appeared to earn him a majority decision in a competitive 10-round contest at the Manchester venue.

But the challenger had his moments, connecting with powerful single shots in a match where the approaches didn't complement each other, with excessive holding disrupting the action.

The officials had it 96-94 for to Buatsi, with the final judge a 95-95 draw.

"It wasn't my greatest performance but how do champions respond? They prevail," the victor stated in the ringside as he was met by boos from the spectators.

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

Several boxing experts thought the challenger, thirty-one, should have been awarded the win but the British boxer experienced the second defeat of his 28-bout professional journey.

The Champion Claims Victory in Slow Affair

The fighter's advancement has stalled in recent times through contract problems and considerable time of inactivity.

Once tipped as the next star of UK boxing, he now finds himself trying to achieve expectations - perhaps in what seems like a final roll of the dice - under fresh management.

He started carefully, with neither fighter ready to overcommit in a cagey initial rounds.

Parker, whose single earlier setback came at the lower weight class against John Ryder in 2022 after damaging his hand during the bout, was competing in only his second appearance at light heavyweight.

By the halfway stage, the underdog had made it competitive, creating difficulties for the favorite, who utilized a tight guard to edge the cleaner periods.

The audience's tolerance decreased during frequent holding, with the challenger slipping to the canvas multiple occasions during grappling.

Parker ended stronger, but several stanzas were challenging to assess. However, ex-champion the boxing analyst - providing analysis for the broadcast network - had it strongly leaning for the challenger, giving Buatsi just one round.

The victor moves on, but with the likes of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Russian champion Bivol dominating the weight class, the road to world glory - based on this performance - still looks steep.

Ricky Hatton Tribute Fuels Manchester Derby Contest

In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by split-decision in a outstanding local rivalry battle to win the European light-heavyweight championship.

The arena became quiet for a extremely emotional tribute prior to the bout as 10 bells rang in remembrance of local hero Hatton, who succumbed at age 46 in September.

It was the premier televised fight night in the location since Hatton's passing. As the concluding sound faded, the silence became a roar of "only one Ricky Hatton".

The competition during the bout reflected the sentiment. The eventual winner was knocked down by a left hook flush on the chin in the early round, rising shakily to his footing on the referee's count.

But the red-colored shorts of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, Rea - in competitive blue - was marked up quickly, heavy swelling forming under his eye as the pair exchanged hard punches.

Rea, 27, connected with strong blows but the champion, thirty-four, responded in kind with effective uppercuts as the action rarely dropped over 12 rounds.

Arthur narrowly won the result with scoring tallies of draw, 115-113 and 115-112, but both fighters were relentless and courageous, everything their hero Hatton embodied.