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British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet unimpressive beginning to life under fresh promotional backing with a unanimous decision over Parker in Manchester.

The Olympic medal winner's work rate appeared to earn him a majority decision in a competitive 10-round fight at the boxing arena.

But Parker had his moments, landing some telling individual punches in a fight where the approaches never quite clicked, with frequent clinching spoiling the contest.

The officials scored it 96-94 in favor to Buatsi, with the remaining official a 95-95 draw.

"It wasn't my best performance but what defines champions? They succeed," the victor stated in the ring as he was faced negative reactions from the spectators.

The Londoner got back to winning after his maiden career setback - an epic battle with his previous opponent in last winter - to secure a 20th career victory.

Some ringside observers believed the challenger, thirty-one, deserved the victory but the British boxer experienced the second defeat of his 28-match professional journey.

Buatsi Earns Triumph in Slow Encounter

The fighter's advancement has plateaued in the past few years through promotional disputes and long spells of inactivity.

Earlier forecast as the rising talent of British boxing, he now is positioned trying to achieve expectations - maybe in what seems like a final roll of the dice - under fresh management.

He opened tentatively, with neither fighter willing to be aggressive in a tentative initial rounds.

Parker, whose only previous defeat came at the lower weight class against his former opponent in 2022 after suffering a hand injury during the bout, was competing in only his second fight at light heavyweight.

By the fight's midpoint, Parker had made it competitive, causing problems for Buatsi, who worked behind a solid defense to barely take the better rounds.

The audience's tolerance wore thin during regular grabbing, with Parker slipping to the canvas various instances during grappling.

The underdog closed well, but multiple periods were challenging to assess. Although, previous titleholder Carl Frampton - providing analysis for the broadcast network - had it significantly in favor for Parker, giving Buatsi just only one stanza.

The victor advances, but with the presence of hard hitter David Benavidez, and Russian star Bivol leading the category, the road to world glory - based on this performance - still seems difficult.

Hatton Homage Motivates All-Manchester Fight

In the co-main event, Arthur overcame Rea by close verdict in a excellent local rivalry contest to win the European light-heavyweight belt.

The venue grew hushed for a profoundly moving memorial before the fight as 10 bells tolled in remembrance of the city's native Hatton, who died at age 46 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 became a chant of "only one Ricky Hatton".

The fighting inside the ropes matched the sentiment. The eventual winner was sent to the canvas by a left hook squarely on the jaw in the second round, standing uncertainly to his position on the count of eight.

But the traditional red shorts of the fighter soon came forward again. From the other corner, the opponent - in opposing blue - was marked up quickly, significant bruising appearing under his face as the fighters exchanged powerful shots.

The challenger, 27, landed power punches but Arthur, 34, matched the intensity with stinging uppercuts as the action rarely dropped over the full distance.

The victor barely secured the decision with judges scorecards of draw, 115-113 and wider gap, but the two athletes were persistent and brave, exactly what their idol the legend represented.