British light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet disappointing beginning to his career under new promoters with a decision win over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's punch output appeared to earn him a judges' verdict in a close 10-round bout at the boxing arena.
But Parker had his moments, connecting with powerful clean blows in a contest where the approaches never quite clicked, with constant grabbing disrupting the fight.
The scoring judges judged it 96-94 in favor to Buatsi, with the third a even score.
"It wasn't my greatest display but how do champions respond? They prevail," the victor commented in the ring as he was faced boos from the crowd.
The Londoner bounced back after his first professional defeat - an epic battle with Callum Smith in last winter - to secure a 20th pro success.
Several boxing experts believed Parker, thirty-one, merited the decision but the Derbyshire fighter experienced the second defeat of his 28-fight career.
Buatsi Claims Win in Uneventful Match
Buatsi's progress has stalled in recent years through contract problems and extended periods of lack of fights.
Once tipped as the next star of British boxing, he now finds himself trying to fulfil that early promise - possibly in what appears to be a ultimate opportunity - under fresh management.
He started carefully, with the two boxers willing to be aggressive in a tentative initial rounds.
The challenger, whose single earlier setback came at super-middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after suffering a hand injury during the bout, was participating in his second bout at light-heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, the underdog had kept it close, creating difficulties for the favorite, who operated with a tight guard to narrowly win the cleaner periods.
The audience's tolerance diminished amid constant clinching, with Parker falling to the floor various instances during clinches.
The underdog finished the stronger, but many rounds were hard to judge. Although, former world champion the boxing analyst - providing analysis for the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for the challenger, scoring for Buatsi just one round.
The victor advances, but with the presence of power puncher Benavidez, and Russian champion Bivol leading the category, the path to championship success - based on this performance - still looks steep.
Hatton Memorial Motivates Local Rivalry Battle
In the supporting bout, Arthur beat Rea by split-decision in a outstanding all-Manchester contest to capture the continental championship.
The arena fell silent for a deeply poignant homage ahead of the contest as 10 bells tolled in honor of local hero Ricky Hatton, who died at age 46 in last month.
It was the first major televised fight night in the urban center since Hatton's passing. As the last bell faded, the silence became a shout of "there's only one Ricky Hatton".
The fighting inside the ropes reflected the sentiment. Arthur was knocked down by a left hook directly to the jaw in the early round, getting up unsteadily to his feet on the referee's count.
But the traditional red shorts of Arthur soon came forward again. Across the ring, the opponent - in rival City blue - was marked up early, significant bruising forming under his orbital area as the duo landed hard punches.
The challenger, twenty-seven, landed power punches but the champion, 34, responded in kind with effective uppercuts as the pace hardly diminished over 12 rounds.
Arthur edged the result with judges scorecards of even score, 115-113 and clearer margin, but each competitor were determined and full of heart, exactly what their inspiration the legend stood for.
