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British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet unimpressive start to his career under fresh promotional backing with a points victory over Parker in Manchester.

The Olympic medal winner's activity level seemingly secured him a judges' verdict in a tight 10-round contest at the Manchester venue.

But the challenger found success, delivering effective individual punches in a fight where the styles didn't complement each other, with excessive holding marring the action.

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

"It wasn't my greatest display but what defines champions? They win," Buatsi said in the ringside as he was met by disapproval from the crowd.

The Londoner got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an epic battle with his previous opponent in February - to claim a twentieth professional win.

Some ringside observers thought Parker, 31, should have been awarded the decision but the contender endured the second loss of his 28-match professional journey.

The Champion Secures Triumph in Uneventful Match

Buatsi's progress has stalled in recent times through contract problems and long spells of inactivity.

Earlier forecast as the next star of UK boxing, he now finds himself trying to realize his potential - maybe in what feels like a final roll of the dice - under recent support.

He began cautiously, with neither fighter ready to overcommit in a tentative opening few rounds.

The challenger, whose sole prior loss came at super middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after breaking his hand mid-fight, was competing in only his second fight at light-heavyweight.

By the middle rounds, the underdog had stayed in contention, causing problems for the favorite, who utilized a solid defense to narrowly win the better periods.

The audience's tolerance diminished during constant clinching, with the challenger slipping to the canvas multiple occasions during grappling.

The underdog closed well, but several stanzas were challenging to assess. However, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - working with Dazn - had it significantly in favor for Parker, giving Buatsi just only one stanza.

Buatsi advances, but with the likes of hard hitter David Benavidez, and Russian star Dmitry Bivol ruling the division, the path to championship success - based on this performance - still looks steep.

Ricky Hatton Tribute Motivates All-Manchester Contest

In the supporting bout, Arthur beat Bradley Rea by divided decision in a terrific local rivalry contest to win the continental championship.

The arena fell silent for a profoundly moving tribute before the fight as 10 bells rang in honor of Manchester's own Hatton, who passed away 46 years old in September.

It was the premier televised fight night in the city since Hatton's passing. As the concluding sound ended, the stillness transitioned to a chant of "only one Ricky Hatton".

The competition during the bout matched the sentiment. Arthur was knocked down by a significant blow squarely on the jaw in the early round, rising shakily to his footing on the count of eight.

But the Manchester United-red equipment of the fighter soon advanced again. Across the ring, the opponent - in competitive blue - was injured early, noticeable damage developing under his orbital area as the pair landed punishing blows.

Rea, twenty-seven, connected with strong blows but the champion, 34, fought fire with fire with stinging uppercuts as the pace rarely dropped over 12 rounds.

The victor edged the verdict with scoring tallies of draw, 115-113 and clearer margin, but each competitor were determined and full of heart, everything their idol Hatton embodied.