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British light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet unimpressive start to life under recent management with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in Manchester.

The Olympic bronze medallist's punch output likely gained him a majority decision in a competitive 10-round fight at the boxing arena.

But Parker had his moments, delivering effective single shots in a fight where the approaches never quite clicked, with frequent clinching spoiling the contest.

Two judges judged it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the third a 95-95.

"It wasn't my greatest performance but what do champions do? They succeed," Buatsi stated in the arena as he was greeted with negative reactions from the spectators.

The British fighter got back to winning after his initial pro loss - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in last winter - to claim a 20th pro success.

Several boxing experts felt Parker, thirty-one, should have been awarded the win but the Derbyshire fighter endured the second loss of his 28-match career.

Buatsi Claims Win in Slow Encounter

Buatsi's progress has plateaued in the past few years through contract problems and extended periods of lack of fights.

Earlier forecast as the future of British boxing, he now is positioned trying to fulfil that early promise - maybe in what seems like a last chance - under recent support.

He began cautiously, with the two boxers willing to be aggressive in a calculated initial rounds.

The challenger, whose sole prior loss came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in 2022 after breaking his hand during the bout, was participating in his second fight at light heavyweight.

By the middle rounds, Parker had kept it close, making life awkward for Buatsi, who operated with a tight guard to edge the cleaner rounds.

The spectators' acceptance wore thin amid frequent holding, with Parker slipping to the canvas several times during grappling.

Parker finished the stronger, but multiple periods were challenging to assess. Nevertheless, ex-champion the boxing analyst - working with Dazn - had it significantly in favor for the challenger, scoring for Buatsi just only one stanza.

The victor progresses, but with the presence of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Bivol ruling the division, the road to world glory - on this evidence - still seems difficult.

Ricky Hatton Memorial Fuels Local Rivalry Contest

In the secondary fight, Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by close verdict in a outstanding Manchester vs Manchester fight to win the continental belt.

The venue grew hushed for a extremely emotional memorial before the fight as 10 bells sounded in honor of Manchester's own Hatton, who succumbed at age 46 in last month.

It was the premier televised match card in the city since Hatton's passing. As the last bell disappeared, the silence transitioned to a roar of "there's only one Hatton".

The competition inside the ropes reflected the emotion. The eventual winner was sent to the canvas by a significant blow flush on the chin in the early round, getting up unsteadily to his feet on the count of eight.

But the Manchester United-red equipment of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. On the opposite side, Rea - in competitive blue - was damaged early, noticeable damage developing under his eye as the pair traded powerful shots.

Rea, 27, connected with strong blows but Arthur, 34, matched the intensity with powerful upward punches as the pace seldom decreased over twelve rounds.

Arthur narrowly won the decision with scoring tallies of 114-114, close margin and clearer margin, but the two athletes were determined and courageous, all the qualities their idol the legend stood for.