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UK light heavyweight Buatsi earned a win yet unimpressive debut to his career under recent management with a unanimous decision over Parker in the Manchester arena.

The Olympic medal winner's punch output appeared to earn him a split decision in a competitive 10-round bout at the Manchester venue.

But Parker found success, delivering effective individual punches in a match where the styles never quite clicked, with excessive holding disrupting the contest.

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

"It wasn't my best showing but what do champions do? They succeed," Buatsi said in the arena as he was greeted with boos from the audience.

The British fighter returned to winning ways after his first professional defeat - an thrilling contest with Callum Smith in February - to claim a 20th career victory.

Various analysts felt Parker, thirty-one, should have been awarded the victory but the Derbyshire fighter endured the second loss of his 28-match professional journey.

The Champion Secures Win in Uneventful Encounter

The fighter's advancement has slowed in recent times through promotional disputes and extended periods of inactivity.

Once tipped as the rising talent of British boxing, he now is positioned trying to fulfil that early promise - maybe in what appears to be a last chance - under fresh management.

He opened tentatively, with neither fighter willing to be aggressive in a calculated initial rounds.

Parker, whose only previous defeat came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in two years ago after damaging his hand in the contest, was making just his second bout at light-heavyweight.

By the middle rounds, Parker had stayed in contention, making life awkward for Buatsi, who operated with a protective stance to barely take the more effective stanzas.

The audience's tolerance decreased during frequent holding, with the challenger going down several times during clinches.

The underdog ended stronger, but several stanzas were challenging to assess. Nevertheless, former world champion the boxing analyst - providing analysis for Dazn - had it significantly in favor for the challenger, scoring for Buatsi just only one stanza.

Buatsi advances, but with the caliber of heavy hitter David Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the journey to titles - judging by this showing - still seems difficult.

Ricky Hatton Homage Motivates Local Rivalry Battle

In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur overcame Bradley Rea by close verdict in a excellent local rivalry battle to capture the European light-heavyweight championship.

The venue fell silent for a extremely emotional homage before the fight as ten bells tolled in remembrance of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who succumbed aged 46 in last month.

It was the initial significant broadcast boxing event in the urban center since the passing of Hatton. As the concluding sound faded, the silence transitioned to a shout of "there's only one Ricky Hatton".

The fighting inside the ropes equaled the emotion. Arthur was knocked down by a left hook squarely on the face in the second round, getting up unsteadily to his feet on the referee's count.

But the Manchester United-red equipment of Arthur soon came forward again. Across the ring, Rea - in competitive blue - was injured quickly, heavy swelling developing under his eye as the pair landed punishing blows.

The challenger, 27, connected with strong blows but the champion, thirty-four, matched the intensity with stinging uppercuts as the intensity seldom decreased over the full distance.

Arthur narrowly won the result with judges scorecards of 114-114, close margin and 115-112, but the two athletes were determined and full of heart, exactly what their idol Hatton represented.