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UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet disappointing debut to life under fresh promotional backing with a points victory over Parker in Manchester.

The Olympic medal winner's work rate appeared to earn him a majority decision in a tight 10-round bout at the Co-op Live Arena.

But the challenger landed significant shots, delivering effective clean blows in a match where the styles never quite clicked, with excessive holding marring the fight.

Two judges scored it 96-94 in favor to Buatsi, with the remaining official a 95-95.

"It wasn't my best performance but what do champions do? They prevail," the victor commented in the arena as he was greeted with negative reactions from the spectators.

The Londoner bounced back after his maiden career setback - an memorable fight with his previous opponent in February - to secure a twentieth professional win.

Several boxing experts believed the challenger, 31, should have been awarded the decision but the Derbyshire fighter experienced the second defeat of his 28-fight career.

The Champion Claims Victory in Uneventful Encounter

His career development has slowed in the past few years through management issues and extended periods of inactivity.

Earlier forecast as the next star of British boxing, he now finds himself trying to fulfil that early promise - possibly in what seems like a ultimate opportunity - under recent support.

He started carefully, with the two boxers prepared to overcommit in a tentative initial rounds.

Parker, whose sole prior loss came at super middleweight against John Ryder in 2022 after breaking his hand during the bout, was competing in only his second bout at light heavyweight.

By the halfway stage, the underdog had kept it close, making life awkward for the favorite, who operated with a tight guard to edge the cleaner stanzas.

The crowd's patience wore thin amid frequent holding, with Parker going down several times during clinches.

Parker ended stronger, but several stanzas were challenging to assess. However, former world champion the boxing analyst - working with Dazn - had it particularly wide for the challenger, scoring for Buatsi just one round.

Buatsi advances, but with the caliber of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Russian champion Bivol ruling the division, the path to championship success - on this evidence - still seems difficult.

Hatton Tribute Fuels Local Rivalry Fight

In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur overcame Rea by divided decision in a outstanding Manchester vs Manchester battle to capture the European light heavyweight belt.

The arena became quiet for a deeply poignant homage before the fight as ten bells rang in memory of local hero Ricky Hatton, who died at age 46 in recently.

It was the premier televised boxing event in the city since the passing of Hatton. As the final chime disappeared, the stillness became a shout of "there's only one Ricky Hatton".

The action during the bout equaled the feeling. The eventual winner was knocked down by a powerful punch directly to the chin in the initial stage, standing uncertainly to his feet on the count of eight.

But the red-colored shorts of Arthur soon came forward again. From the other corner, the opponent - in competitive blue - was marked up quickly, noticeable damage developing under his eye as the fighters traded hard punches.

The challenger, 27, delivered effective strikes but the champion, 34, matched the intensity with stinging uppercuts as the action seldom decreased over the full distance.

Arthur edged the result with scoring tallies of 114-114, narrow lead and wider gap, but both fighters were determined and full of heart, everything their idol Hatton represented.