🔗 Share this article

UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet disappointing beginning to his career under fresh promotional backing with a decision win over Zach Parker in Manchester.

The Olympic medal winner's activity level seemingly secured him a judges' verdict in a tight 10-round bout at the Co-op Live Arena.

But Parker landed significant shots, delivering effective individual punches in a contest where the styles failed to mesh, with constant grabbing spoiling the fight.

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

"It wasn't my finest display but what do champions do? They prevail," Buatsi commented in the ring as he was met by disapproval from the crowd.

The Londoner bounced back after his initial pro loss - an thrilling contest with his previous opponent in last winter - to claim a 20th pro success.

Various analysts felt the challenger, 31, should have been awarded the victory but the contender endured the second defeat of his 28-match career.

The Champion Claims Victory in Slow Match

Buatsi's progress has plateaued in recent times through contract problems and extended periods of inactivity.

Once tipped as the next star of the British fight scene, he now stands trying to fulfil that early promise - possibly in what appears to be a final roll of the dice - under recent support.

He opened tentatively, with the two boxers willing to be aggressive in a tentative early stages.

Parker, whose sole prior loss came at the lower weight class against his former opponent in two years ago after suffering a hand injury mid-fight, was competing in only his second appearance at the higher weight class.

By the halfway stage, Parker had kept it close, making life awkward for Buatsi, who operated with a protective stance to barely take the better stanzas.

The crowd's patience decreased amid constant clinching, with the challenger falling to the floor several times during clinches.

The underdog finished the stronger, but several stanzas were challenging to assess. Although, former world champion Carl Frampton - providing analysis for Dazn - had it significantly in favor for Parker, awarding Buatsi just a single round.

Buatsi advances, but with the presence of hard hitter Benavidez, and Russian star Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the journey to titles - on this evidence - still seems difficult.

Hatton Homage Motivates All-Manchester Fight

In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur overcame Rea by close verdict in a excellent all-Manchester contest to capture the European light heavyweight title.

The venue became quiet for a extremely emotional homage ahead of the contest as 10 bells sounded in honor of the city's native Hatton, who passed away 46 years old in last month.

It was the initial significant broadcast match card in the location since Hatton's death. As the final chime faded, the stillness gave way to a roar of "there's just one Hatton".

The competition during the bout reflected the sentiment. The eventual winner was floored by a significant blow flush on the jaw in the second round, rising shakily to his footing on the eight count.

But the traditional red shorts of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, the opponent - in rival City blue - was injured soon, significant bruising forming under his orbital area as the duo exchanged hard punches.

Rea, twenty-seven, landed power punches but the champion, 34, matched the intensity with stinging uppercuts as the intensity seldom decreased over the full distance.

The victor edged the verdict with scoring tallies of draw, close margin and wider gap, but the two athletes were persistent and courageous, everything their inspiration Hatton stood for.