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British light heavyweight Buatsi made a winning yet unimpressive debut to his career under recent management with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in Manchester.

The Olympic medal winner's punch output seemingly secured him a judges' verdict in a tight 10-round bout at the Manchester venue.

But Parker landed significant shots, delivering effective clean blows in a contest where the techniques didn't complement each other, with constant grabbing disrupting the action.

The scoring judges had it 96-94 in favor to Buatsi, with the third a 95-95 draw.

"It wasn't my greatest display but how do champions respond? They succeed," the victor said in the ring as he was faced boos from the spectators.

The Londoner bounced back after his initial pro loss - an thrilling contest with Callum Smith in last winter - to earn a 20th pro success.

Several boxing experts believed the challenger, 31, should have been awarded the victory but the British boxer experienced the second setback of his 28-bout professional journey.

Buatsi Claims Victory in Dull Encounter

His career development has stalled in recent times through management issues and considerable time of inactivity.

Once tipped as the rising talent of UK boxing, he now stands trying to achieve expectations - maybe in what appears to be a final roll of the dice - under fresh management.

He started carefully, with both competitors ready to take risks in a tentative opening few rounds.

The challenger, whose only previous defeat came at super middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after damaging his hand mid-fight, was competing in only his second bout at the higher weight class.

By the halfway stage, the underdog had made it competitive, making life awkward for Buatsi, who utilized a solid defense to barely take the more effective rounds.

The audience's tolerance decreased because of constant clinching, with the challenger going down multiple occasions during grappling.

The underdog ended stronger, but multiple periods were challenging to assess. Although, former world champion Carl Frampton - providing analysis for the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for Parker, scoring for Buatsi just only one stanza.

Buatsi progresses, but with the caliber of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol ruling the division, the path to championship success - judging by this showing - still seems difficult.

Ricky Hatton Memorial Inspires Local Rivalry Contest

In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by split-decision in a excellent Manchester vs Manchester fight to capture the European light-heavyweight belt.

The stadium fell silent for a extremely emotional homage prior to the bout as 10 bells rang in remembrance of local hero Hatton, who succumbed at age 46 in last month.

It was the first major televised boxing event in the urban center since Hatton's passing. As the final chime faded, the quiet gave way to a shout of "there's just one Hatton".

The action within the ring reflected the emotion. Arthur was floored by a powerful punch directly to the face in the initial stage, rising shakily to his position on the eight count.

But the Manchester United-red attire of the fighter soon advanced again. From the other corner, the opponent - in rival City blue - was injured soon, noticeable damage developing under his face as the fighters traded powerful shots.

The challenger, twenty-seven, connected with strong blows but Arthur, 34, responded in kind with powerful upward punches as the intensity seldom decreased over 12 rounds.

Arthur barely secured the verdict with official scores of 114-114, 115-113 and 115-112, but each competitor were determined and courageous, exactly what their hero Hatton represented.