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UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet unimpressive start to his career under fresh promotional backing with a unanimous decision over Parker in Manchester.

The Olympic bronze medallist's work rate likely gained him a majority decision in a competitive ten-round fight at the Co-op Live Arena.

But the challenger found success, connecting with powerful individual punches in a contest where the styles didn't complement each other, with constant grabbing disrupting the contest.

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

"It wasn't my greatest display but what defines champions? They prevail," Buatsi said in the ringside as he was met by boos from the spectators.

The Londoner bounced back after his maiden career setback - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in last winter - to earn a 20th pro success.

Some ringside observers believed the challenger, thirty-one, deserved the decision but the Derbyshire fighter experienced the second setback of his 28-match professional journey.

The Champion Claims Victory in Uneventful Affair

The fighter's advancement has slowed in the past few years through promotional disputes and considerable time of lack of fights.

Earlier forecast as the next star of British boxing, he now finds himself trying to fulfil that early promise - maybe in what seems like a last chance - under new promotional backing.

He began cautiously, with both competitors prepared to overcommit in a tentative initial rounds.

The challenger, whose only previous defeat came at super middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after suffering a hand injury during the bout, was making just his second bout at light heavyweight.

By the middle rounds, the underdog had stayed in contention, creating difficulties for Buatsi, who operated with a protective stance to barely take the better rounds.

The audience's tolerance diminished during frequent holding, with Parker going down various instances during close exchanges.

The underdog finished the stronger, but several stanzas were hard to judge. Nevertheless, ex-champion the boxing analyst - commentating on the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for the challenger, scoring for Buatsi just only one stanza.

The victor moves on, but with the presence of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the road to world glory - based on this performance - still appears challenging.

Hatton Memorial Motivates All-Manchester Fight

In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur defeated Rea by divided decision in a excellent all-Manchester contest to secure the continental title.

The arena fell silent for a profoundly moving memorial before the fight as ten bells rang in honor of local hero Ricky Hatton, who died aged 46 in last month.

It was the first major televised fight night in the location since the passing of Hatton. As the concluding sound faded, the stillness became a shout of "only one Ricky Hatton".

The competition inside the ropes reflected the emotion. The eventual winner was knocked down by a significant blow flush on the chin in the early round, getting up unsteadily to his footing on the referee's count.

But the red-colored attire of Arthur soon advanced again. From the other corner, the opponent - in rival City blue - was injured early, heavy swelling appearing under his eye as the duo exchanged powerful shots.

The challenger, twenty-seven, landed power punches but the champion, 34, responded in kind with powerful upward punches as the pace hardly diminished over 12 rounds.

Arthur narrowly won the result with scoring tallies of 114-114, close margin and 115-112, but each competitor were relentless and courageous, all the qualities their inspiration Hatton stood for.