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

The Olympic bronze medallist's activity level seemingly secured him a majority decision in a tight 10-round contest at the Manchester venue.

But Parker landed significant shots, delivering effective single shots in a contest where the styles never quite clicked, with frequent clinching disrupting the contest.

Two judges judged it 96-94 for to Buatsi, with the third a 95-95 draw.

"It wasn't my best display but how do champions respond? They win," Buatsi stated in the ring as he was greeted with disapproval from the crowd.

The British fighter bounced back after his first professional defeat - an epic battle with Callum Smith in last winter - to earn a 20th pro success.

Some ringside observers felt Parker, 31, merited the decision but the Derbyshire fighter endured the second setback of his 28-match career.

The Champion Earns Victory in Dull Match

His career development has slowed in recent years through promotional disputes and extended periods of inactivity.

Once tipped as the rising talent of UK boxing, he now stands trying to realize his potential - maybe in what feels like a last chance - under fresh management.

He started carefully, with neither fighter willing to be aggressive in a cagey early stages.

Parker, whose only previous defeat came at super-middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after damaging his hand in the contest, was participating in his second bout at the higher weight class.

By the fight's midpoint, Parker had kept it close, creating difficulties for the favorite, who utilized a tight guard to edge the cleaner periods.

The crowd's patience wore thin because of regular grabbing, with the challenger falling to the floor various instances during clinches.

Parker finished the stronger, but many rounds were hard to judge. However, former world champion Carl Frampton - providing analysis for the broadcast network - had it significantly in favor for the challenger, awarding Buatsi just only one stanza.

Buatsi moves on, but with the caliber of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Russian star Bivol dominating the weight class, the road to world glory - based on this performance - still seems difficult.

Ricky Hatton Memorial Inspires Local Rivalry Battle

In the secondary fight, Arthur overcame Bradley Rea by divided decision in a terrific all-Manchester contest to win the European light-heavyweight title.

The arena fell silent for a profoundly moving memorial ahead of the contest as a bell ceremony rang in honor of the city's native Hatton, who passed away aged 46 in recently.

It was the initial significant broadcast boxing event in the city since Hatton's death. As the final chime disappeared, the quiet gave way to a shout of "there's only one Ricky Hatton".

The action during the bout equaled the sentiment. The eventual winner was sent to the canvas by a powerful punch flush on the face in the early round, getting up unsteadily to his position on the count of eight.

But the red-colored shorts 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 traded powerful shots.

The challenger, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but the champion, 34, matched the intensity with effective uppercuts as the pace rarely dropped over twelve rounds.

Arthur narrowly won the verdict with scoring tallies of 114-114, narrow lead and wider gap, but both fighters were persistent and full of heart, exactly what their hero the legend embodied.