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UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet unimpressive start to life under fresh promotional backing with a unanimous decision over Parker in Manchester.

The Olympic medal winner's punch output likely gained him a split decision in a competitive 10-round contest at the Manchester venue.

But Parker landed significant shots, landing some telling individual punches in a fight where the styles didn't complement each other, with excessive holding spoiling the contest.

Two judges scored it 96-94 to the winner, with the remaining official a 95-95 draw.

"It wasn't my greatest performance but what defines champions? They win," Buatsi commented in the ringside as he was met by negative reactions from the spectators.

The British fighter bounced back after his first professional defeat - an memorable fight with his previous opponent in February - to secure a twentieth professional win.

Various analysts thought the challenger, thirty-one, merited the win but the contender experienced the second loss of his 28-bout career.

Buatsi Earns Win in Uneventful Affair

His career development has plateaued in recent times through promotional disputes and considerable time of lack of fights.

Earlier forecast as the next star of the British fight scene, he now is positioned trying to achieve expectations - perhaps in what feels like a last chance - under fresh management.

He began cautiously, with neither fighter ready to be aggressive in a tentative early stages.

The challenger, whose single earlier setback came at the lower weight class against his former opponent in 2022 after suffering a hand injury mid-fight, was competing in only his second fight at the higher weight class.

By the halfway stage, Parker had kept it close, creating difficulties for the favorite, who operated with a protective stance to barely take the cleaner periods.

The audience's tolerance wore thin amid constant clinching, with Parker going down multiple occasions during close exchanges.

Parker ended stronger, but several stanzas were difficult to score. Although, ex-champion the boxing analyst - working with the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for the challenger, awarding Buatsi just one round.

Buatsi moves on, but with the presence of hard hitter David Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the road to world glory - based on this performance - still appears challenging.

Ricky Hatton Memorial Fuels All-Manchester Contest

In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur beat Bradley Rea by split-decision in a excellent Manchester vs Manchester battle to capture the continental championship.

The arena grew hushed for a deeply poignant memorial before the fight as 10 bells rang in honor of local hero Hatton, who died 46 years old in last month.

It was the first major televised boxing event in the urban center since Hatton's passing. As the concluding sound faded, the silence gave way to a shout of "there's just one Ricky Hatton".

The competition during the bout matched the sentiment. The eventual winner was floored by a significant blow flush on the chin in the early round, standing uncertainly to his footing on the referee's count.

But the Manchester United-red equipment of Arthur soon advanced again. Across the ring, Rea - in rival City blue - was damaged early, significant bruising developing under his face as the duo exchanged powerful shots.

The challenger, twenty-seven, connected with strong blows but Arthur, 34, matched the intensity with powerful upward punches as the action seldom decreased over twelve rounds.

The victor edged the result with judges scorecards of 114-114, 115-113 and clearer margin, but the two athletes were determined and courageous, exactly what their hero the legend stood for.