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British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet disappointing debut to life under recent management with a unanimous decision over Parker in the Manchester arena.

The Olympic medal winner's activity level appeared to earn him a split decision in a tight ten-round bout at the boxing arena.

But the challenger landed significant shots, landing some telling single shots in a fight where the styles failed to mesh, with excessive holding disrupting the fight.

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

"It wasn't my finest showing but what do champions do? They succeed," Buatsi commented in the ring as he was met by boos from the crowd.

The Londoner bounced back after his first professional defeat - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in last winter - to earn a 20th career victory.

Various analysts thought the challenger, thirty-one, merited the win but the Derbyshire fighter endured the second defeat of his 28-match career.

The Champion Claims Triumph in Slow Match

His career development has plateaued in recent years through management issues and long spells of inactivity.

Earlier forecast as the rising talent of UK boxing, he now stands trying to achieve expectations - possibly in what feels like a final roll of the dice - under recent support.

He started carefully, with the two boxers prepared to be aggressive in a calculated early stages.

Parker, whose single earlier setback came at super middleweight against his former opponent in two years ago after breaking his hand in the contest, was making just his second bout at light-heavyweight.

By the middle rounds, the underdog had kept it close, causing problems for the favorite, who worked behind a protective stance to barely take the cleaner stanzas.

The crowd's patience decreased during constant clinching, with the challenger going down various instances during clinches.

The underdog ended stronger, but many rounds were difficult to score. Although, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - providing analysis for Dazn - had it strongly leaning for the challenger, awarding Buatsi just one round.

The victor moves on, but with the caliber of power puncher David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Bivol leading the category, the journey to titles - on this evidence - still appears challenging.

Ricky Hatton Homage Inspires All-Manchester Fight

In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur defeated Rea by split-decision in a outstanding Manchester vs Manchester battle to secure the European light-heavyweight belt.

The arena grew hushed for a profoundly moving tribute ahead of the contest as ten bells sounded in honor of local hero Hatton, who succumbed 46 years old in September.

It was the premier televised boxing event in the city since the passing of Hatton. As the concluding sound ended, the stillness transitioned to a roar of "there's just one Ricky Hatton".

The action during the bout reflected the sentiment. The eventual winner was floored by a powerful punch flush on the chin in the initial stage, getting up unsteadily to his feet on the count of eight.

But the traditional red equipment of Arthur soon came forward again. From the other corner, the opponent - in rival City blue - was marked up soon, noticeable damage forming under his face as the duo landed hard punches.

Rea, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but the champion, thirty-four, matched the intensity with powerful upward punches as the pace rarely dropped over the full distance.

Arthur edged the result with judges scorecards of 114-114, close margin and wider gap, but the two athletes were determined and brave, everything their idol the legend represented.