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

The Olympic medal winner's work rate seemingly secured him a majority decision in a close 10-round bout at the boxing arena.

But Parker had his moments, landing some telling single shots in a contest where the techniques didn't complement each other, with constant grabbing marring the action.

The scoring judges had it 96-94 in favor to Buatsi, with the final judge a 95-95 draw.

"It wasn't my best display but how do champions respond? They win," the victor commented in the ringside as he was met by disapproval from the audience.

The Londoner returned to winning ways after his maiden career setback - an epic battle with his previous opponent in February - to earn a twentieth professional win.

Some ringside observers thought the challenger, 31, should have been awarded the win but the British boxer experienced the second setback of his 28-match professional journey.

Buatsi Earns Victory in Slow Affair

The fighter's advancement has plateaued in the past few years through management issues and considerable time of inactivity.

Previously predicted as the rising talent of the British fight scene, he now finds himself trying to achieve expectations - perhaps in what seems like a last chance - under fresh management.

He started carefully, with neither fighter ready to be aggressive in a calculated early stages.

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

By the fight's midpoint, the underdog had kept it close, making life awkward for Buatsi, who operated with a solid defense to barely take the more effective stanzas.

The spectators' acceptance decreased because of frequent holding, with the challenger slipping to the canvas various instances during grappling.

The underdog finished the stronger, but several stanzas were challenging to assess. However, former world champion Carl Frampton - providing analysis for Dazn - had it particularly wide for Parker, awarding Buatsi just a single round.

The victor progresses, but with the presence of heavy hitter David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the journey to titles - on this evidence - still seems difficult.

Hatton Homage Fuels Local Rivalry Contest

In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur overcame Rea by split-decision in a outstanding all-Manchester contest to win the European light-heavyweight belt.

The arena grew hushed for a extremely emotional memorial prior to the bout as ten bells tolled in honor of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who died 46 years old in last month.

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

The action inside the ropes equaled the feeling. The eventual winner was floored by a significant blow squarely on the jaw in the second round, getting up unsteadily to his footing on the referee's count.

But the traditional red shorts of the fighter soon advanced again. From the other corner, the opponent - in opposing blue - was damaged soon, significant bruising appearing under his eye as the duo exchanged powerful shots.

Rea, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but Arthur, 34, fought fire with fire with powerful upward punches as the action seldom decreased over 12 rounds.

The victor barely secured the decision with official scores of even score, narrow lead and clearer margin, but the two athletes were persistent and brave, exactly what their idol Hatton represented.