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British light heavyweight Buatsi earned a win yet disappointing beginning to life under fresh promotional backing with a points victory over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.

The Olympic medal winner's punch output likely gained him a judges' verdict in a tight 10-round contest at the Co-op Live Arena.

But the challenger found success, connecting with powerful individual punches in a match where the styles never quite clicked, with excessive holding marring the contest.

The scoring judges had it 96-94 in favor to Buatsi, with the third a even score.

"It wasn't my greatest performance but what defines champions? They prevail," the victor said in the ring as he was faced disapproval from the crowd.

The British fighter bounced back after his initial pro loss - an thrilling contest with Callum Smith in last winter - to secure a twentieth professional win.

Various analysts thought the challenger, thirty-one, should have been awarded the decision but the Derbyshire fighter suffered the second setback of his 28-match professional journey.

The Champion Earns Triumph in Dull Match

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

Once tipped as the rising talent of British boxing, he now stands trying to achieve expectations - possibly in what feels like a final roll of the dice - under recent support.

He opened tentatively, with neither fighter prepared to take risks in a calculated early stages.

The challenger, whose sole prior loss came at super middleweight against his former opponent in two years ago after breaking his hand mid-fight, was making just his second appearance at light-heavyweight.

By the middle rounds, Parker had kept it close, causing problems for Buatsi, who operated with a solid defense to edge the more effective stanzas.

The spectators' acceptance decreased during regular grabbing, with Parker going down various instances during clinches.

The underdog closed well, but several stanzas were challenging to assess. Nevertheless, former world champion the boxing analyst - working with the broadcast network - had it significantly in favor for the challenger, scoring for Buatsi just a single round.

The victor moves on, but with the caliber of hard hitter Benavidez, and Russian star Bivol leading the category, the road to world glory - judging by this showing - still looks steep.

Hatton Memorial Motivates Local Rivalry Fight

In the supporting bout, Arthur beat Bradley Rea by split-decision in a terrific local rivalry battle to capture the continental title.

The venue fell silent for a profoundly moving tribute prior to the bout as 10 bells tolled in memory of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who died 46 years old in recently.

It was the first major televised boxing event in the city since Hatton's death. As the concluding sound disappeared, the silence became a chant of "only one Ricky Hatton".

The competition inside the ropes reflected the emotion. Arthur was knocked down by a left hook flush on the chin in the initial stage, standing uncertainly to his footing on the referee's count.

But the red-colored shorts of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. From the other corner, Rea - in competitive blue - was injured quickly, heavy swelling developing under his eye as the duo exchanged punishing blows.

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

The victor narrowly won the verdict with official scores of draw, narrow lead and 115-112, but the two athletes were relentless and full of heart, everything their hero Hatton represented.