🔗 Share this article

British light-heavyweight Buatsi secured a victory yet disappointing beginning to life under recent management with a decision win over Parker in Manchester.

The Olympic medal winner's work rate likely gained him a judges' verdict in a close 10-round fight at the Co-op Live Arena.

But Parker found success, delivering effective clean blows in a fight where the styles failed to mesh, with excessive holding spoiling the fight.

Two judges scored it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the remaining official a 95-95 draw.

"It wasn't my best showing but what defines champions? They prevail," the victor commented in the ring 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 last winter - to secure a 20th career victory.

Several boxing experts believed Parker, thirty-one, should have been awarded the decision but the Derbyshire fighter experienced the second setback of his 28-bout professional journey.

The Champion Earns Victory in Uneventful Match

The fighter's advancement has stalled in recent times through contract problems and long spells of inactivity.

Earlier forecast as the rising talent of the British fight scene, he now finds himself trying to achieve expectations - perhaps in what appears to be a final roll of the dice - under recent support.

He began cautiously, with neither fighter prepared to overcommit in a calculated early stages.

The challenger, whose only previous defeat came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in 2022 after damaging his hand during the bout, was competing in only his second fight at light heavyweight.

By the middle rounds, the underdog had made it competitive, making life awkward for the favorite, who operated with a solid defense to edge the more effective stanzas.

The crowd's patience decreased during frequent holding, with the challenger slipping to the canvas multiple occasions during grappling.

The underdog closed well, but several stanzas were hard to judge. Nevertheless, ex-champion the boxing analyst - commentating on Dazn - had it significantly in favor for the challenger, awarding Buatsi just a single round.

Buatsi progresses, but with the presence of hard hitter Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the road to world glory - judging by this showing - still appears challenging.

Ricky Hatton Homage Fuels Manchester Derby Fight

In the supporting bout, Arthur overcame Bradley Rea by split-decision in a outstanding all-Manchester battle to win the European light-heavyweight title.

The stadium became quiet for a profoundly moving homage prior to the bout as a bell ceremony tolled in memory of the city's native Ricky Hatton, who succumbed 46 years old in September.

It was the premier televised match card in the urban center since Hatton's death. As the last bell disappeared, the silence became a roar of "only one Ricky Hatton".

The action inside the ropes matched the emotion. Arthur was floored by a left hook squarely on the face in the initial stage, standing uncertainly to his footing on the referee's count.

But the red-colored equipment of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, Rea - in competitive blue - was injured early, significant bruising forming under his face as the pair traded powerful shots.

Rea, 27, delivered effective strikes but the champion, thirty-four, fought fire with fire with powerful upward punches as the intensity hardly diminished over 12 rounds.

Arthur narrowly won the decision with official scores of even score, narrow lead and wider gap, but both fighters were relentless and courageous, everything their hero Hatton embodied.