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

The Olympic bronze medallist's work rate appeared to earn him a majority decision in a close ten-round fight at the boxing arena.

But the challenger had his moments, landing some telling clean blows in a match where the styles never quite clicked, with excessive holding disrupting the action.

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

"It wasn't my best display but what do champions do? They succeed," Buatsi stated in the arena as he was faced disapproval from the audience.

The British fighter returned to winning ways after his first professional defeat - an thrilling contest with Callum Smith in last winter - to earn a 20th pro success.

Various analysts thought the challenger, thirty-one, should have been awarded the decision but the British boxer suffered the second loss of his 28-bout professional journey.

The Champion Secures Win in Slow Affair

Buatsi's progress has slowed in recent years through promotional disputes and extended periods of inactivity.

Previously predicted as the rising talent of UK boxing, he now is positioned trying to realize his potential - perhaps in what feels like a last chance - under new promotional backing.

He started carefully, with neither fighter ready to take risks in a tentative initial rounds.

The challenger, whose sole prior loss came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in 2022 after breaking his hand in the contest, was competing in only his second fight at the higher weight class.

By the halfway stage, the underdog had made it competitive, causing problems for the favorite, who operated with a solid defense to edge the cleaner stanzas.

The crowd's patience diminished because of frequent holding, with the challenger slipping to the canvas multiple occasions during close exchanges.

Parker closed well, but many rounds were challenging to assess. Nevertheless, former world champion Carl Frampton - providing analysis for Dazn - had it particularly wide for Parker, awarding Buatsi just one round.

The victor progresses, but with the presence of power puncher David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the road to world glory - on this evidence - still appears challenging.

Ricky Hatton Homage Motivates Manchester Derby Contest

In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur overcame Rea by close verdict in a outstanding Manchester vs Manchester battle to win the European light-heavyweight title.

The stadium became quiet for a extremely emotional tribute before the fight as a bell ceremony tolled in honor of the city's native Ricky Hatton, who died 46 years old in last month.

It was the first major televised match card in the location since the passing of Hatton. As the concluding sound faded, the stillness became a roar of "there's just one Hatton".

The action within the ring matched the emotion. The eventual winner was knocked down by a significant blow directly to the jaw in the early round, getting up unsteadily to his footing on the count of eight.

But the red-colored shorts of the fighter soon came forward again. On the opposite side, Rea - in opposing blue - was damaged soon, noticeable damage developing under his face as the duo exchanged powerful shots.

Rea, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but the champion, thirty-four, responded in kind with effective uppercuts as the pace hardly diminished over 12 rounds.

The victor barely secured the verdict with scoring tallies of even score, close margin and clearer margin, but each competitor were relentless and courageous, all the qualities their hero the legend stood for.