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UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet unimpressive beginning to life under recent management with a points victory over Zach Parker in Manchester.

The Olympic bronze medallist's work rate likely gained him a judges' verdict in a tight ten-round fight at the Manchester venue.

But Parker landed significant shots, delivering effective single shots in a match where the styles didn't complement each other, with constant grabbing disrupting the contest.

The scoring judges had it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the remaining official a even score.

"It wasn't my finest display but what do champions do? They prevail," Buatsi stated in the ring as he was met by disapproval from the audience.

The Londoner got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in last winter - to secure a twentieth professional win.

Several boxing experts believed the challenger, thirty-one, deserved the win but the British boxer experienced the second setback of his 28-match career.

The Champion Claims Victory in Dull Match

The fighter's advancement has stalled in recent years through promotional disputes and considerable time of lack of fights.

Previously predicted as the rising talent of British boxing, he now is positioned trying to fulfil that early promise - possibly in what seems like a last chance - under fresh management.

He opened tentatively, with the two boxers prepared to be aggressive in a calculated early stages.

The challenger, whose single earlier setback came at the lower weight class against his former opponent in 2022 after breaking his hand in the contest, was making just his second appearance at the higher weight class.

By the fight's midpoint, Parker had stayed in contention, creating difficulties for the favorite, who worked behind a solid defense to narrowly win the better periods.

The spectators' acceptance wore thin amid regular grabbing, with Parker slipping to the canvas several times during clinches.

Parker closed well, but several stanzas were hard to judge. Although, former world champion the boxing analyst - providing analysis for the broadcast network - had it significantly in favor for Parker, scoring for Buatsi just only one stanza.

Buatsi advances, but with the caliber of power puncher David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the road to world glory - on this evidence - still looks steep.

Hatton Homage Inspires Local Rivalry Fight

In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur defeated Rea by close verdict in a terrific local rivalry fight to capture the European light-heavyweight championship.

The venue grew hushed for a profoundly moving homage ahead of the contest as ten bells tolled in remembrance of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who died aged 46 in recently.

It was the first major televised fight night in the urban center since the passing of Hatton. As the last bell disappeared, the quiet became a roar of "only one Ricky Hatton".

The action within the ring equaled the emotion. Arthur was floored by a left hook flush on the face in the initial stage, rising shakily to his footing on the referee's count.

But the red-colored shorts of the fighter soon came forward again. Across the ring, the opponent - in opposing blue - was marked up early, noticeable damage forming under his eye as the duo exchanged punishing blows.

Rea, 27, delivered effective strikes but the champion, thirty-four, fought fire with fire with stinging uppercuts as the intensity rarely dropped over the full distance.

Arthur narrowly won the result with judges scorecards of even score, 115-113 and clearer margin, but both fighters were persistent and courageous, everything their idol the legend stood for.