🔗 Share this article

British light-heavyweight Buatsi earned a win yet underwhelming debut to life under fresh promotional backing with a unanimous decision over Parker in the Manchester arena.

The Olympic bronze medallist's work rate appeared to earn him a judges' verdict in a tight 10-round contest at the boxing arena.

But the challenger landed significant shots, connecting with powerful clean blows in a fight where the approaches failed to mesh, with excessive holding disrupting the contest.

The officials had it 96-94 in favor to Buatsi, with the third a 95-95.

"It wasn't my greatest display but what defines champions? They succeed," the victor commented in the ring as he was greeted with negative reactions from the crowd.

The British fighter got back to winning after his maiden career setback - an epic battle with Callum Smith in last winter - to secure a 20th career victory.

Some ringside observers believed the challenger, thirty-one, deserved the victory but the British boxer suffered the second defeat of his 28-fight career.

Buatsi Earns Win in Uneventful Match

Buatsi's progress has stalled in recent years through promotional disputes and long spells of inactivity.

Previously predicted as the future of UK boxing, he now stands trying to achieve expectations - possibly in what feels like a last chance - under fresh management.

He began cautiously, with both competitors ready to take risks in a calculated early stages.

Parker, whose only previous defeat came at super-middleweight against his former opponent in two years ago after damaging his hand mid-fight, was making just his second fight at light heavyweight.

By the halfway stage, the underdog had made it competitive, causing problems for Buatsi, who utilized a solid defense to narrowly win the cleaner stanzas.

The crowd's patience wore thin during regular grabbing, with Parker falling to the floor multiple occasions during close exchanges.

The underdog finished the stronger, but several stanzas were hard to judge. However, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - commentating on the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for the challenger, awarding Buatsi just a single round.

Buatsi moves on, but with the caliber of heavy hitter David Benavidez, and Russian champion Bivol leading the category, the road to world glory - on this evidence - still appears challenging.

Ricky Hatton Memorial Motivates Local Rivalry Contest

In the secondary fight, Arthur beat Bradley Rea by split-decision in a outstanding local rivalry contest to capture the continental belt.

The venue fell silent for a profoundly moving tribute before the fight as a bell ceremony sounded in memory of the city's native Hatton, who succumbed aged 46 in last month.

It was the premier televised fight night in the city since Hatton's death. As the final chime faded, the stillness transitioned to a shout of "there's just one Hatton".

The fighting within the ring matched the sentiment. The eventual winner was floored by a significant blow flush on the face in the initial stage, rising shakily to his position on the referee's count.

But the red-colored shorts of the fighter soon advanced again. From the other corner, the opponent - in rival City blue - was injured quickly, heavy swelling forming under his eye as the fighters exchanged punishing blows.

The challenger, twenty-seven, connected with strong blows but Arthur, thirty-four, matched the intensity with stinging uppercuts as the pace hardly diminished over twelve rounds.

The victor narrowly won the verdict with official scores of even score, narrow lead and wider gap, but both fighters were relentless and full of heart, exactly what their inspiration Hatton stood for.