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British light heavyweight Buatsi secured a victory yet disappointing debut to life under fresh promotional backing with a unanimous decision over Parker in the Manchester arena.

The Olympic bronze medallist's activity level likely gained him a majority decision in a close ten-round contest at the boxing arena.

But Parker had his moments, landing some telling individual punches in a contest where the techniques failed to mesh, with frequent clinching marring the action.

The scoring judges scored it 96-94 for to the winner, with the third a even score.

"It wasn't my best showing but how do champions respond? They succeed," Buatsi commented in the arena as he was met by disapproval from the crowd.

The Londoner bounced back after his initial pro loss - an thrilling contest with his previous opponent in last winter - to earn a twentieth professional win.

Some ringside observers believed Parker, thirty-one, should have been awarded the win but the contender experienced the second loss of his 28-match career.

The Champion Secures Triumph in Dull Encounter

The fighter's advancement has slowed in recent times through promotional disputes and extended periods of lack of fights.

Once tipped as the future of the British fight scene, he now stands trying to achieve expectations - perhaps in what seems like a final roll of the dice - under fresh management.

He began cautiously, with both competitors prepared to overcommit in a calculated early stages.

Parker, whose only previous defeat came at the lower weight class against his former opponent in 2022 after breaking his hand during the bout, was participating in his second fight at the higher weight class.

By the middle rounds, the underdog had kept it close, creating difficulties for the favorite, who operated with a tight guard to edge the cleaner periods.

The audience's tolerance decreased during regular grabbing, with Parker going down several times during grappling.

The underdog ended stronger, but many rounds were hard to judge. However, ex-champion Carl Frampton - working with the broadcast network - had it significantly in favor for Parker, giving Buatsi just only one stanza.

Buatsi advances, but with the presence of power puncher David Benavidez, and Russian star Bivol ruling the division, the journey to titles - on this evidence - still looks steep.

Ricky Hatton Memorial Inspires Local Rivalry Fight

In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur overcame Rea by close verdict in a excellent all-Manchester contest to secure the European light heavyweight title.

The stadium fell silent for a extremely emotional memorial prior to the bout as a bell ceremony sounded in honor of local hero Ricky Hatton, who succumbed at age 46 in September.

It was the first major televised match card in the urban center since the passing of Hatton. As the last bell disappeared, the silence became a shout of "there's only one Hatton".

The action inside the ropes equaled the emotion. The eventual winner was knocked down by a powerful punch squarely on the chin in the initial stage, standing uncertainly to his position on the referee's count.

But the red-colored attire of the fighter soon advanced again. From the other corner, the opponent - in competitive blue - was damaged quickly, noticeable damage developing under his face as the fighters traded punishing blows.

Rea, 27, landed power punches but Arthur, thirty-four, matched the intensity with stinging uppercuts as the intensity hardly diminished over 12 rounds.

The victor edged the result with scoring tallies of draw, 115-113 and clearer margin, but each competitor were determined and courageous, everything their idol the legend stood for.