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UK light heavyweight Buatsi secured a victory yet disappointing start to life under new promoters with a points victory over Zach Parker in Manchester.

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

But the challenger had his moments, delivering effective individual punches in a contest where the techniques never quite clicked, with frequent clinching marring the action.

The officials scored it 96-94 to the winner, with the remaining official a even score.

"It wasn't my greatest showing but what defines champions? They prevail," the victor commented in the ringside as he was met by boos from the spectators.

The Londoner returned to winning ways after his initial pro loss - an thrilling contest with his previous opponent in February - to earn a twentieth professional win.

Some ringside observers thought Parker, thirty-one, deserved the victory but the contender endured the second loss of his 28-match career.

The Champion Claims Victory in Slow Encounter

His career development has plateaued in recent times through management issues and extended periods of lack of fights.

Once tipped as the future of UK boxing, he now is positioned trying to realize his potential - maybe in what appears to be a final roll of the dice - under recent support.

He started carefully, with the two boxers prepared to take risks in a calculated initial rounds.

Parker, whose only previous defeat came at the lower weight class against his former opponent in two years ago after suffering a hand injury in the contest, was participating in his second fight at the higher weight class.

By the fight's midpoint, the underdog had made it competitive, causing problems for Buatsi, who worked behind a tight guard to edge the better periods.

The crowd's patience wore thin during regular grabbing, with the challenger going down several times during close exchanges.

Parker ended stronger, but several stanzas were difficult to score. Although, previous titleholder Carl Frampton - working with the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for the challenger, giving Buatsi just only one stanza.

Buatsi moves on, but with the likes of heavy hitter David Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the path to championship success - based on this performance - still seems difficult.

Ricky Hatton Memorial Motivates Local Rivalry Battle

In the supporting bout, Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by close verdict in a outstanding all-Manchester battle to capture the continental belt.

The venue fell silent for a profoundly moving homage prior to the bout as 10 bells rang in remembrance of the city's native Ricky Hatton, who passed away at age 46 in recently.

It was the initial significant broadcast match card in the urban center since the passing of Hatton. As the last bell faded, the silence gave way to a shout of "only one Ricky Hatton".

The action inside the ropes equaled the feeling. The eventual winner was knocked down by a significant blow squarely on the chin in the early round, getting up unsteadily to his footing on the count of eight.

But the red-colored shorts of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, Rea - in rival City blue - was injured early, heavy swelling developing under his orbital area as the fighters landed punishing blows.

Rea, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but the champion, thirty-four, matched the intensity with effective uppercuts as the pace rarely dropped over the full distance.

Arthur barely secured the result with official scores of even score, narrow lead and 115-112, but each competitor were determined and courageous, exactly what their idol Hatton embodied.