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

The Olympic medal winner's activity level appeared to earn him a majority decision in a tight 10-round contest at the Manchester venue.

But Parker found success, landing some telling clean blows in a fight where the approaches didn't complement each other, with excessive holding disrupting the action.

The officials judged it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the remaining official a 95-95.

"It wasn't my greatest performance but what do champions do? They succeed," Buatsi stated in the ring as he was faced disapproval from the crowd.

The Londoner got back to winning after his maiden career setback - an thrilling contest with Callum Smith in last winter - to claim a 20th career victory.

Several boxing experts believed Parker, thirty-one, deserved the victory but the Derbyshire fighter suffered the second loss of his 28-bout career.

The Champion Claims Victory in Dull Encounter

Buatsi's progress has plateaued in recent years through management issues and considerable time of inactivity.

Once tipped as the rising talent of the British fight scene, he now stands trying to achieve expectations - possibly in what feels like a final roll of the dice - under recent support.

He opened tentatively, with neither fighter ready to overcommit in a tentative initial rounds.

The challenger, whose sole prior loss came at the lower weight class against his former opponent in 2022 after damaging his hand in the contest, was competing in only his second appearance at light-heavyweight.

By the middle rounds, the underdog had stayed in contention, making life awkward for the favorite, who operated with a tight guard to barely take the better rounds.

The spectators' acceptance wore thin amid frequent holding, with Parker falling to the floor multiple occasions during clinches.

The underdog closed well, but several stanzas were difficult to score. However, former world champion Carl Frampton - commentating on Dazn - had it particularly wide for Parker, awarding Buatsi just a single round.

Buatsi progresses, but with the likes of power puncher Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol ruling the division, the journey to titles - judging by this showing - still appears challenging.

Ricky Hatton Homage Inspires All-Manchester Fight

In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur overcame Rea by split-decision in a outstanding local rivalry fight to secure the European light-heavyweight title.

The stadium fell silent for a profoundly moving homage ahead of the contest as 10 bells rang in remembrance of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who died at age 46 in last month.

It was the initial significant broadcast fight night in the location since Hatton's death. As the concluding sound faded, the silence became a shout of "only one Hatton".

The competition inside the ropes matched the feeling. Arthur was knocked down by a significant blow flush on the face in the early round, getting up unsteadily to his feet on the count of eight.

But the traditional red shorts of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. On the opposite side, the opponent - in rival City blue - was injured early, significant bruising developing under his eye as the fighters traded powerful shots.

The challenger, 27, delivered effective strikes but Arthur, 34, fought fire with fire with powerful upward punches as the pace seldom decreased over the full distance.

Arthur edged the result with official scores of 114-114, close margin and wider gap, but both fighters were persistent and courageous, all the qualities their idol the legend embodied.