🔗 Share this article

British light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet unimpressive beginning to his career under fresh promotional backing with a decision win over Zach Parker in Manchester.

The Olympic medal winner's punch output appeared to earn him a split decision in a close ten-round fight at the Co-op Live Arena.

But Parker found success, connecting with powerful individual punches in a contest where the approaches didn't complement each other, with frequent clinching spoiling the fight.

The scoring judges judged it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the final judge a even score.

"It wasn't my finest display but how do champions respond? They prevail," Buatsi stated in the ring as he was faced boos from the spectators.

The Londoner got back to winning after his initial pro loss - an epic battle with Callum Smith in February - to claim a twentieth professional win.

Some ringside observers thought the challenger, thirty-one, should have been awarded the victory but the Derbyshire fighter experienced the second setback of his 28-match professional journey.

The Champion Claims Triumph in Slow Affair

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

Once tipped as the next star of UK boxing, he now stands trying to achieve expectations - perhaps in what appears to be a ultimate opportunity - under new promotional backing.

He opened tentatively, with both competitors ready to overcommit in a calculated early stages.

Parker, whose sole prior loss came at the lower weight class against his former opponent in 2022 after damaging his hand during the bout, was participating in his second fight at light-heavyweight.

By the middle rounds, Parker had made it competitive, creating difficulties for Buatsi, who utilized a protective stance to barely take the more effective rounds.

The spectators' acceptance decreased during frequent holding, with Parker falling to the floor several times during close exchanges.

The underdog finished the stronger, but several stanzas were challenging to assess. Nevertheless, former world champion the boxing analyst - working with Dazn - had it particularly wide for the challenger, giving Buatsi just only one stanza.

Buatsi moves on, but with the presence of hard hitter David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Bivol leading the category, the journey to titles - on this evidence - still seems difficult.

Hatton Memorial Motivates Manchester Derby Fight

In the secondary fight, Arthur overcame Rea by divided decision in a outstanding local rivalry fight to win the continental belt.

The venue fell silent for a extremely emotional tribute prior to the bout as 10 bells rang in memory of local hero Hatton, who succumbed aged 46 in last month.

It was the initial significant broadcast boxing event in the location since Hatton's death. As the concluding sound disappeared, the quiet became a chant of "there's only one Ricky Hatton".

The fighting within the ring reflected the feeling. Arthur was knocked down by a significant blow directly to the face in the early round, rising shakily to his footing on the referee's count.

But the traditional red attire of Arthur soon came forward again. On the opposite side, the opponent - in competitive blue - was injured early, heavy swelling forming under his eye as the fighters traded hard punches.

Rea, twenty-seven, connected with strong blows but the champion, thirty-four, matched the intensity with effective uppercuts as the action hardly diminished over the full distance.

The victor narrowly won the verdict with official scores of 114-114, narrow lead and 115-112, but the two athletes were relentless and full of heart, everything their hero the legend stood for.