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British light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet disappointing start to his career under new promoters with a points victory over Parker in Manchester.

The Olympic bronze medallist's activity level appeared to earn him a majority decision in a tight 10-round fight at the boxing arena.

But the challenger landed significant shots, landing some telling individual punches in a contest where the styles failed to mesh, with frequent clinching marring the fight.

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

"It wasn't my best performance but how do champions respond? They win," the victor said in the ring as he was met by negative reactions from the audience.

The Londoner bounced back after his first professional defeat - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in last winter - to claim a 20th career victory.

Some ringside observers thought Parker, 31, merited the decision but the British boxer experienced the second loss of his 28-match career.

Buatsi Earns Victory in Uneventful Encounter

The fighter's advancement has stalled in the past few years through management issues and long spells of inactivity.

Previously predicted as the future of British boxing, he now finds himself trying to realize his potential - perhaps in what appears to be a final roll of the dice - under new promotional backing.

He began cautiously, with the two boxers willing to be aggressive in a cagey early stages.

Parker, whose only previous defeat came at super middleweight against John Ryder in 2022 after breaking his hand in the contest, was competing in only his second bout at light-heavyweight.

By the middle rounds, the underdog had kept it close, making life awkward for Buatsi, who worked behind a tight guard to barely take the cleaner rounds.

The spectators' acceptance wore thin because of frequent holding, with Parker falling to the floor multiple occasions during clinches.

The underdog finished the stronger, but many rounds were difficult to score. However, ex-champion the boxing analyst - working with the broadcast network - had it significantly in favor for the challenger, awarding Buatsi just a single round.

The victor moves on, but with the likes of heavy hitter David Benavidez, and Russian star Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the road to world glory - based on this performance - still seems difficult.

Ricky Hatton Tribute Inspires Manchester Derby Battle

In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur beat Bradley Rea by divided decision in a excellent all-Manchester fight to win the European light-heavyweight belt.

The arena fell silent for a deeply poignant homage prior to the bout as a bell ceremony sounded in remembrance of Manchester's own Hatton, who died aged 46 in September.

It was the premier televised fight night in the location since Hatton's death. As the concluding sound disappeared, the quiet gave way to a chant of "there's only one Ricky Hatton".

The action during the bout reflected the sentiment. Arthur was knocked down by a significant blow directly to the face in the initial stage, getting up unsteadily to his footing on the referee's count.

But the Manchester United-red equipment of Arthur soon came forward again. On the opposite side, the opponent - in competitive blue - was damaged soon, heavy swelling forming under his eye as the duo landed hard punches.

The challenger, 27, landed power punches but the champion, 34, responded in kind with stinging uppercuts as the action rarely dropped over twelve rounds.

The victor edged the verdict with official scores of draw, narrow lead and clearer margin, but the two athletes were determined and brave, everything their hero the legend represented.