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British light-heavyweight Buatsi earned a win yet underwhelming beginning to life under new promoters with a unanimous decision over Parker in the Manchester arena.

The Olympic medal winner's work rate appeared to earn him a judges' verdict in a competitive ten-round bout at the boxing arena.

But the challenger landed significant shots, landing some telling individual punches in a match where the techniques didn't complement each other, with constant grabbing spoiling the action.

Two judges judged it 96-94 to the winner, with the final judge a even score.

"It wasn't my finest performance but what do champions do? They succeed," the victor commented in the ringside as he was faced disapproval from the crowd.

The Londoner got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an thrilling contest with Callum Smith in February - to earn a 20th career victory.

Some ringside observers thought the challenger, 31, should have been awarded the victory but the Derbyshire fighter experienced the second defeat of his 28-fight career.

The Champion Secures Win in Slow Affair

His career development has slowed in the past few years through contract problems and extended periods of lack of fights.

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

He opened tentatively, with neither fighter willing to be aggressive in a calculated initial rounds.

Parker, whose sole prior loss came at the lower weight class against John Ryder in two years ago after damaging his hand mid-fight, was competing in only his second appearance at light-heavyweight.

By the halfway stage, Parker had kept it close, making life awkward for the favorite, who worked behind a protective stance to barely take the better rounds.

The spectators' acceptance decreased because of regular grabbing, with Parker slipping to the canvas multiple occasions during close exchanges.

Parker finished the stronger, but multiple periods were challenging to assess. However, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - working with the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for Parker, giving Buatsi just only one stanza.

The victor progresses, but with the presence of power puncher Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the journey to titles - judging by this showing - still seems difficult.

Ricky Hatton Homage Motivates All-Manchester Contest

In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by divided decision in a terrific Manchester vs Manchester fight to secure the European light heavyweight championship.

The arena grew hushed for a deeply poignant homage before the fight as ten bells rang in memory of Manchester's own Hatton, who succumbed at age 46 in September.

It was the first major televised match card in the urban center since Hatton's passing. As the last bell ended, the silence transitioned to a chant of "only one Hatton".

The competition within the ring equaled the emotion. The eventual winner was floored by a left hook directly to the chin in the second round, getting up unsteadily to his position on the count of eight.

But the Manchester United-red attire of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, Rea - in competitive blue - was injured soon, heavy swelling appearing under his eye as the fighters exchanged powerful shots.

Rea, 27, connected with strong blows but Arthur, 34, matched the intensity with powerful upward punches as the pace hardly diminished over twelve rounds.

The victor barely secured the decision with official scores of even score, 115-113 and 115-112, but both fighters were persistent and full of heart, everything their idol the legend represented.