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British light heavyweight Buatsi made a winning yet underwhelming start to his career under new promoters with a unanimous decision over Parker in Manchester.

The Olympic medal winner's activity level seemingly secured him a majority decision in a close 10-round contest at the boxing arena.

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

The scoring judges scored it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the final judge a 95-95.

"It wasn't my best display but what do champions do? They prevail," the victor said in the ring as he was met by disapproval from the spectators.

The British fighter got back to winning after his initial pro loss - an memorable fight with his previous opponent in last winter - to secure a 20th career victory.

Various analysts felt Parker, thirty-one, merited the decision but the British boxer endured the second loss of his 28-fight professional journey.

The Champion Earns Triumph in Slow Encounter

Buatsi's progress has stalled in recent times through contract problems and long spells of inactivity.

Previously predicted as the future of British boxing, he now stands trying to realize his potential - perhaps in what feels like a ultimate opportunity - under recent support.

He opened tentatively, with both competitors prepared to be aggressive in a cagey early stages.

Parker, whose only previous defeat came at super middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after breaking his hand mid-fight, was making just his second appearance at the higher weight class.

By the fight's midpoint, the underdog had kept it close, making life awkward for Buatsi, who worked behind a tight guard to edge the better periods.

The spectators' acceptance diminished because of constant clinching, with the challenger slipping to the canvas several times during close exchanges.

Parker finished the stronger, but many rounds were challenging to assess. However, former world champion the boxing analyst - commentating on the broadcast network - had it strongly leaning for Parker, scoring for Buatsi just only one stanza.

Buatsi moves on, but with the presence of power puncher Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the road to world glory - on this evidence - still appears challenging.

Hatton Tribute Motivates Manchester Derby Fight

In the secondary fight, Arthur defeated Rea by split-decision in a outstanding all-Manchester contest to win the continental championship.

The venue fell silent for a deeply poignant tribute ahead of the contest as 10 bells rang in honor of the city's native Hatton, who passed away at age 46 in last month.

It was the first major televised fight night in the location since Hatton's death. As the last bell disappeared, the silence became a shout of "there's only one Hatton".

The fighting inside the ropes reflected the emotion. Arthur was floored by a significant blow flush on the chin in the early round, standing uncertainly to his feet on the count of eight.

But the red-colored shorts of the fighter soon came forward again. On the opposite side, the opponent - in competitive blue - was injured soon, noticeable damage forming under his orbital area as the duo exchanged powerful shots.

The challenger, 27, delivered effective strikes but the champion, thirty-four, responded in kind with stinging uppercuts as the pace seldom decreased over twelve rounds.

The victor narrowly won the result with official scores of 114-114, 115-113 and wider gap, but the two athletes were persistent and full of heart, exactly what their hero Hatton embodied.