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British light heavyweight Buatsi secured a victory yet unimpressive debut to his career under recent management with a points victory over Parker in the Manchester arena.

The Olympic bronze medallist's work rate likely gained him a judges' verdict in a tight ten-round contest at the Co-op Live Arena.

But Parker landed significant shots, landing some telling clean blows in a contest where the approaches didn't complement each other, with frequent clinching disrupting the action.

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

"It wasn't my finest display but what defines champions? They succeed," the victor said in the ring as he was faced negative reactions from the audience.

The British fighter got back to winning after his maiden career setback - an thrilling contest with his previous opponent in February - to claim a 20th pro success.

Several boxing experts felt the challenger, thirty-one, deserved the decision but the British boxer suffered the second defeat of his 28-bout career.

The Champion Secures Win in Uneventful Affair

His career development has plateaued in recent times through contract problems and extended periods of inactivity.

Once tipped as the rising talent of the British fight scene, he now stands trying to fulfil that early promise - maybe in what feels like a ultimate opportunity - under new promotional backing.

He began cautiously, with neither fighter willing to overcommit in a calculated initial rounds.

Parker, whose single earlier setback came at super middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after breaking his hand during the bout, was participating in his second fight at light heavyweight.

By the fight's midpoint, the underdog had stayed in contention, making life awkward for the favorite, who operated with a solid defense to edge the more effective stanzas.

The spectators' acceptance wore thin because of regular grabbing, with the challenger falling to the floor multiple occasions during close exchanges.

The underdog closed well, but multiple periods were hard to judge. Nevertheless, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - providing analysis for the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for the challenger, scoring for Buatsi just a single round.

Buatsi advances, but with the likes of hard hitter David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the road to world glory - on this evidence - still seems difficult.

Hatton Tribute Fuels All-Manchester Fight

In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur beat Bradley Rea by close verdict in a outstanding local rivalry contest to capture the European light heavyweight championship.

The arena fell silent for a extremely emotional tribute before the fight as a bell ceremony tolled in honor of local hero Hatton, who passed away aged 46 in recently.

It was the premier televised boxing event in the location since the passing of Hatton. As the final chime disappeared, the stillness gave way to a chant of "there's just one Ricky Hatton".

The fighting within the ring reflected the emotion. Arthur was sent to the canvas by a left hook squarely on the face in the second round, getting up unsteadily to his footing on the referee's count.

But the traditional red equipment of Arthur soon advanced again. Across the ring, the opponent - in rival City blue - was damaged early, noticeable damage developing under his eye as the pair landed hard punches.

The challenger, twenty-seven, connected with strong blows but the champion, thirty-four, matched the intensity with powerful upward punches as the action rarely dropped over 12 rounds.

The victor barely secured the decision with official scores of draw, close margin and wider gap, but the two athletes were relentless and full of heart, everything their hero the legend embodied.