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UK light heavyweight Buatsi earned a win yet underwhelming start to life under new promoters with a unanimous decision over Parker in Manchester.

The Olympic medal winner's work rate seemingly secured him a majority decision in a close ten-round fight at the Manchester venue.

But the challenger found success, delivering effective individual punches in a fight where the techniques didn't complement each other, with excessive holding disrupting the action.

The scoring judges scored it 96-94 for to the winner, with the third a 95-95.

"It wasn't my finest display but how do champions respond? They succeed," Buatsi stated in the ring as he was faced disapproval from the spectators.

The Londoner got back to winning after his initial pro loss - an epic battle with his previous opponent in last winter - to earn a 20th pro success.

Several boxing experts believed the challenger, 31, should have been awarded the decision but the Derbyshire fighter suffered the second loss of his 28-match professional journey.

Buatsi Earns Victory in Uneventful Affair

The fighter's advancement has slowed in the past few years through contract problems and extended periods of inactivity.

Earlier forecast as the rising talent of UK boxing, he now finds himself trying to achieve expectations - maybe in what appears to be a ultimate opportunity - under recent support.

He opened tentatively, with the two boxers ready to take risks in a cagey opening few rounds.

Parker, whose only previous defeat came at the lower weight class against his former opponent in 2022 after damaging his hand during the bout, was competing in only his second bout at light-heavyweight.

By the halfway stage, the underdog had kept it close, causing problems for the favorite, who worked behind a tight guard to barely take the better stanzas.

The crowd's patience diminished amid regular grabbing, with the challenger falling to the floor multiple occasions during clinches.

The underdog finished the stronger, but multiple periods were difficult to score. Although, former world champion Carl Frampton - working with the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for Parker, giving Buatsi just only one stanza.

Buatsi advances, but with the caliber of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Russian champion Bivol dominating the weight class, the path to championship success - based on this performance - still looks steep.

Ricky Hatton Homage Motivates Local Rivalry Fight

In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur defeated Rea by close verdict in a terrific all-Manchester battle to secure the European light heavyweight title.

The venue fell silent for a profoundly moving tribute ahead of the contest as a bell ceremony rang in honor of local hero Ricky Hatton, who succumbed at age 46 in last month.

It was the first major televised boxing event in the urban center since Hatton's death. As the last bell ended, the stillness gave way to a shout of "there's only one Hatton".

The competition inside the ropes equaled the feeling. Arthur was sent to the canvas by a left hook squarely on the chin in the early round, getting up unsteadily to his position on the count of eight.

But the Manchester United-red attire of the fighter soon advanced again. Across the ring, the opponent - in rival City blue - was injured soon, heavy swelling developing under his eye as the pair landed punishing blows.

The challenger, twenty-seven, landed power punches but Arthur, thirty-four, fought fire with fire with powerful upward punches as the intensity hardly diminished over twelve rounds.

Arthur narrowly won the result with official scores of even score, close margin and 115-112, but both fighters were persistent and full of heart, everything their inspiration the legend stood for.