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UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet underwhelming debut to his career under fresh promotional backing with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in Manchester.

The Olympic medal winner's punch output likely gained him a majority decision in a competitive 10-round bout at the Co-op Live Arena.

But the challenger found success, delivering effective clean blows in a match where the approaches never quite clicked, with excessive holding marring the contest.

Two judges scored it 96-94 to the winner, with the third a 95-95.

"It wasn't my best performance but what do champions do? They prevail," Buatsi stated in the arena as he was faced negative reactions from the audience.

The British fighter got back to winning after his initial pro loss - an epic battle with his previous opponent in February - to claim a twentieth professional win.

Several boxing experts felt Parker, 31, should have been awarded the decision but the contender suffered the second loss of his 28-bout career.

The Champion Claims Triumph in Dull Match

His career development has stalled in recent times through management issues and long spells of lack of fights.

Previously predicted as the next star of British boxing, he now stands trying to achieve expectations - possibly in what feels like a ultimate opportunity - under fresh management.

He began cautiously, with both competitors prepared to be aggressive in a tentative early stages.

Parker, whose single earlier setback came at super middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after breaking his hand during the bout, was competing in only his second bout at the higher weight class.

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

The crowd's patience diminished because of constant clinching, with the challenger slipping to the canvas multiple occasions during close exchanges.

Parker closed well, but many rounds were hard to judge. However, ex-champion the boxing analyst - providing analysis for the broadcast network - had it strongly leaning for Parker, giving Buatsi just one round.

The victor progresses, but with the likes of hard hitter David Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the road to world glory - on this evidence - still seems difficult.

Hatton Homage Inspires All-Manchester Fight

In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur overcame Rea by divided decision in a terrific Manchester vs Manchester battle to win the European light-heavyweight championship.

The stadium became quiet for a deeply poignant homage ahead of the contest as a bell ceremony tolled in memory of Manchester's own Hatton, who succumbed 46 years old in recently.

It was the first major televised match card in the city since the passing of Hatton. As the concluding sound ended, the silence gave way to a shout of "there's only one Hatton".

The fighting within the ring reflected the feeling. Arthur was sent to the canvas by a left hook directly to the chin in the second round, getting up unsteadily to his footing on the referee's count.

But the traditional red shorts of Arthur soon advanced again. On the opposite side, Rea - in competitive blue - was marked up soon, heavy swelling forming under his eye as the fighters landed hard punches.

The challenger, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but the champion, thirty-four, fought fire with fire with stinging uppercuts as the action seldom decreased over 12 rounds.

The victor edged the verdict with official scores of even score, 115-113 and 115-112, but the two athletes were persistent and full of heart, all the qualities their inspiration the legend embodied.