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

The Olympic medal winner's work rate seemingly secured him a split decision in a competitive 10-round fight at the Manchester venue.

But Parker had his moments, landing some telling clean blows in a match where the approaches didn't complement each other, with frequent clinching disrupting the contest.

The scoring judges scored it 96-94 for to Buatsi, with the remaining official a 95-95 draw.

"It wasn't my best performance but how do champions respond? They prevail," the victor commented in the arena as he was met by boos from the spectators.

The Londoner returned to winning ways after his first professional defeat - an memorable fight with his previous opponent in last winter - to secure a 20th pro success.

Some ringside observers felt the challenger, 31, should have been awarded the win but the contender endured the second loss of his 28-bout career.

The Champion Earns Triumph in Slow Affair

The fighter's advancement has stalled in the past few years through management issues and extended periods of inactivity.

Earlier forecast as the future of UK boxing, he now stands trying to realize his potential - perhaps in what seems like a ultimate opportunity - under fresh management.

He began cautiously, with the two boxers willing to overcommit in a calculated initial rounds.

Parker, whose sole prior loss came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in 2022 after breaking his hand mid-fight, was competing in only his second appearance at the higher weight class.

By the middle rounds, the underdog had kept it close, creating difficulties for the favorite, who worked behind a tight guard to narrowly win the more effective stanzas.

The audience's tolerance decreased during constant clinching, with Parker falling to the floor several times during close exchanges.

The underdog ended stronger, but several stanzas were hard to judge. Nevertheless, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - commentating on Dazn - had it strongly leaning for the challenger, awarding Buatsi just only one stanza.

Buatsi moves on, but with the likes of heavy hitter David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol ruling the division, the road to world glory - based on this performance - still looks steep.

Ricky Hatton Homage Motivates Manchester Derby Contest

In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur beat Bradley Rea by split-decision in a outstanding local rivalry battle to win the continental title.

The arena became quiet for a profoundly moving homage before the fight as ten bells sounded in memory of local hero Hatton, who passed away aged 46 in last month.

It was the initial significant broadcast boxing event in the city since Hatton's passing. As the last bell disappeared, the quiet transitioned to a chant of "only one Hatton".

The fighting within the ring reflected the feeling. Arthur was floored by a left hook directly to the face in the initial stage, rising shakily to his feet on the eight count.

But the Manchester United-red shorts of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. On the opposite side, Rea - in competitive blue - was marked up early, noticeable damage appearing under his eye as the fighters landed punishing blows.

The challenger, 27, delivered effective strikes but the champion, thirty-four, responded in kind with stinging uppercuts as the action seldom decreased over 12 rounds.

Arthur narrowly won the decision with scoring tallies of draw, narrow lead and clearer margin, but the two athletes were relentless and full of heart, everything their inspiration Hatton stood for.