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

The Olympic bronze medallist's work rate likely gained him a split decision in a competitive 10-round contest at the boxing arena.

But Parker landed significant shots, connecting with powerful individual punches in a fight where the approaches failed to mesh, with excessive holding disrupting the fight.

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

"It wasn't my finest showing but how do champions respond? They win," the victor stated in the arena as he was met by disapproval from the crowd.

The Londoner bounced back after his first professional defeat - an thrilling contest with Callum Smith in last winter - to earn a twentieth professional win.

Several boxing experts felt the challenger, thirty-one, merited the victory but the British boxer experienced the second setback of his 28-match career.

The Champion Secures Triumph in Uneventful Match

His career development has slowed in recent years through contract problems and long spells of inactivity.

Earlier forecast as the next star of UK boxing, he now finds himself trying to fulfil that early promise - maybe in what appears to be a ultimate opportunity - under recent support.

He opened tentatively, with both competitors ready to take risks in a cagey opening few rounds.

The challenger, whose single earlier setback came at super-middleweight against his former opponent in two years ago after breaking his hand mid-fight, was participating in his second appearance at light-heavyweight.

By the halfway stage, the underdog had made it competitive, causing problems for Buatsi, who worked behind a protective stance to narrowly win the more effective rounds.

The crowd's patience diminished because of regular grabbing, with Parker going down various instances during grappling.

Parker ended stronger, but several stanzas were challenging to assess. However, ex-champion the boxing analyst - commentating on Dazn - had it particularly wide for Parker, awarding Buatsi just a single round.

The victor progresses, but with the presence of power puncher David Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the path to championship success - judging by this showing - still seems difficult.

Hatton Homage Fuels Manchester Derby Battle

In the co-main event, Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by close verdict in a excellent local rivalry fight to capture the European light heavyweight championship.

The venue grew hushed for a extremely emotional memorial before the fight as 10 bells tolled in honor of the city's native Hatton, who passed away 46 years old in last month.

It was the first major televised match card in the urban center since Hatton's death. As the concluding sound faded, the silence gave way to a roar of "there's just one Hatton".

The competition within the ring matched the emotion. Arthur was floored by a significant blow directly to the face in the initial stage, standing uncertainly to his feet on the referee's count.

But the Manchester United-red shorts of Arthur soon came forward again. Across the ring, Rea - in rival City blue - was marked up soon, heavy swelling appearing under his eye as the pair landed powerful shots.

The challenger, 27, delivered effective strikes but the champion, thirty-four, matched the intensity with powerful upward punches as the action rarely dropped over twelve rounds.

The victor narrowly won the decision with scoring tallies of even score, narrow lead and 115-112, but both fighters were relentless and full of heart, everything their idol Hatton embodied.