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UK light heavyweight Buatsi earned a win yet unimpressive debut to his career under fresh promotional backing with a decision win over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.

The Olympic medal winner's activity level seemingly secured him a majority decision in a competitive ten-round contest at the Manchester venue.

But the challenger landed significant shots, connecting with powerful individual punches in a fight where the approaches never quite clicked, with frequent clinching disrupting the contest.

The scoring judges judged it 96-94 to the winner, with the final judge a 95-95 draw.

"It wasn't my best display but what do champions do? They succeed," the victor stated in the ring as he was greeted with boos from the spectators.

The Londoner bounced back after his first professional defeat - an thrilling contest with Callum Smith in February - to earn a twentieth professional win.

Various analysts believed Parker, thirty-one, should have been awarded the victory but the Derbyshire fighter suffered the second loss of his 28-bout career.

Buatsi Secures Victory in Dull Encounter

His career development has stalled in recent years through contract problems and considerable time of inactivity.

Earlier forecast as the next star of British boxing, he now is positioned trying to fulfil that early promise - possibly in what feels like a last chance - under fresh management.

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

Parker, whose sole prior loss came at super-middleweight against his former opponent in two years ago after damaging his hand in the contest, was making just his second appearance at the higher weight class.

By the middle rounds, Parker had kept it close, causing problems for Buatsi, who operated with a protective stance to edge the better stanzas.

The audience's tolerance wore thin during constant clinching, with Parker going down various instances during clinches.

Parker closed well, but many rounds were challenging to assess. However, former world champion the boxing analyst - providing analysis for Dazn - had it significantly in favor for the challenger, awarding Buatsi just a single round.

Buatsi advances, but with the caliber of hard hitter Benavidez, and Russian champion Bivol ruling the division, the road to world glory - on this evidence - still looks steep.

Ricky Hatton Memorial Inspires All-Manchester Battle

In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur beat Bradley Rea by split-decision in a excellent local rivalry battle to capture the European light-heavyweight belt.

The arena grew hushed for a profoundly moving homage prior to the bout as 10 bells tolled in honor of the city's native Ricky Hatton, who died at age 46 in last month.

It was the first major televised fight night in the location since Hatton's death. As the concluding sound faded, the stillness became a shout of "there's only one Hatton".

The fighting within the ring equaled the sentiment. The eventual winner was sent to the canvas by a significant blow directly to the chin in the second round, standing uncertainly to his position on the count of eight.

But the traditional red attire of Arthur soon came forward again. From the other corner, the opponent - in opposing blue - was injured quickly, noticeable damage forming under his eye as the pair exchanged powerful shots.

Rea, 27, connected with strong blows but the champion, thirty-four, fought fire with fire with stinging uppercuts as the action hardly diminished over the full distance.

The victor barely secured the decision with official scores of draw, 115-113 and 115-112, but both fighters were persistent and brave, everything their idol the legend represented.