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UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet underwhelming debut to his career under recent management with a decision win over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.

The Olympic bronze medallist's work rate seemingly secured him a majority decision in a close 10-round fight at the boxing arena.

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

Two judges scored it 96-94 for to the winner, with the remaining official a even score.

"It wasn't my best performance but how do champions respond? They prevail," Buatsi said in the ring as he was greeted with negative reactions from the audience.

The Londoner got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an memorable fight with his previous opponent in last winter - to claim a twentieth professional win.

Various analysts thought the challenger, thirty-one, merited the win but the Derbyshire fighter suffered the second setback of his 28-bout professional journey.

Buatsi Earns Victory in Slow Affair

His career development has stalled in recent years through management issues and long spells of inactivity.

Previously predicted as the rising talent of British boxing, he now stands trying to realize his potential - possibly in what appears to be a final roll of the dice - under recent support.

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

The challenger, whose only previous defeat came at the lower weight class against John Ryder in two years ago after suffering a hand injury mid-fight, was participating in his second bout at light heavyweight.

By the fight's midpoint, Parker had kept it close, causing problems for Buatsi, who worked behind a solid defense to edge the better stanzas.

The crowd's patience decreased during frequent holding, with Parker going down various instances during grappling.

Parker closed well, but many rounds were challenging to assess. However, former world champion Carl Frampton - working with the broadcast network - had it strongly leaning for the challenger, awarding Buatsi just only one stanza.

The victor advances, but with the likes of hard hitter Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Bivol ruling the division, the journey to titles - judging by this showing - still appears challenging.

Hatton Homage Inspires Manchester Derby Contest

In the secondary fight, Arthur overcame Bradley Rea by split-decision in a excellent Manchester vs Manchester contest to capture the European light heavyweight title.

The stadium grew hushed for a extremely emotional memorial ahead of the contest as ten bells sounded in remembrance of Manchester's own Hatton, who succumbed at age 46 in September.

It was the initial significant broadcast fight night in the location since the passing of Hatton. As the concluding sound faded, the silence gave way to a roar of "only one Hatton".

The fighting within the ring reflected the feeling. Arthur was floored by a powerful punch directly to the chin in the second round, getting up unsteadily to his footing on the referee's count.

But the red-colored attire of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, the opponent - in competitive blue - was injured soon, noticeable damage forming under his eye as the pair exchanged punishing blows.

The challenger, 27, connected with strong blows but Arthur, 34, matched the intensity with stinging uppercuts as the pace hardly diminished over twelve rounds.

The victor edged the decision with official scores of 114-114, narrow lead and wider gap, but each competitor were relentless and brave, everything their hero Hatton embodied.