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British light-heavyweight Buatsi made a winning yet unimpressive start to life under recent management with a decision win over Parker in the Manchester arena.

The Olympic medal winner's punch output appeared to earn him a majority decision in a close 10-round fight at the Manchester venue.

But Parker landed significant shots, landing some telling individual punches in a match where the approaches failed to mesh, with constant grabbing disrupting the contest.

The scoring judges had it 96-94 for to Buatsi, with the final judge a 95-95.

"It wasn't my finest performance but how do champions respond? They succeed," the victor said in the arena as he was faced boos from the crowd.

The British fighter bounced back after his first professional defeat - an epic battle with Callum Smith in last winter - to secure a twentieth professional win.

Various analysts believed the challenger, 31, deserved the win but the British boxer endured the second loss of his 28-bout professional journey.

Buatsi Earns Win in Uneventful Encounter

His career development has plateaued in recent times through promotional disputes and extended periods of inactivity.

Previously predicted as the rising talent of British boxing, he now is positioned trying to fulfil that early promise - maybe in what feels like a ultimate opportunity - under recent support.

He opened tentatively, with the two boxers ready to overcommit in a calculated early stages.

Parker, whose only previous defeat came at super middleweight against his former opponent in two years ago after suffering a hand injury in the contest, was making just his second fight at light-heavyweight.

By the fight's midpoint, the underdog had stayed in contention, causing problems for Buatsi, who utilized a protective stance to edge the more effective rounds.

The audience's tolerance decreased amid frequent holding, with the challenger going down various instances during grappling.

The underdog finished the stronger, but multiple periods were difficult to score. Although, ex-champion the boxing analyst - providing analysis for Dazn - had it particularly wide for the challenger, scoring for Buatsi just a single round.

The victor progresses, but with the presence of heavy hitter David Benavidez, and Russian star Dmitry Bivol ruling the division, the road to world glory - based on this performance - still looks steep.

Ricky Hatton Tribute Motivates All-Manchester Fight

In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur overcame Rea by split-decision in a outstanding local rivalry fight to capture the European light-heavyweight belt.

The stadium became quiet for a extremely emotional homage ahead of the contest as 10 bells rang in honor of local hero Hatton, who died aged 46 in recently.

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

The competition inside the ropes reflected the emotion. Arthur was knocked down by a significant blow squarely on the jaw in the initial stage, standing uncertainly to his position on the count of eight.

But the red-colored shorts of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. On the opposite side, Rea - in rival City blue - was damaged early, heavy swelling appearing under his orbital area as the pair traded punishing blows.

The challenger, twenty-seven, landed power punches but the champion, thirty-four, responded in kind with powerful upward punches as the pace hardly diminished over the full distance.

The victor edged the result with official scores of draw, 115-113 and 115-112, but each competitor were relentless and full of heart, exactly what their hero Hatton stood for.