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UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet underwhelming start to his career under fresh promotional backing with a points victory over Zach Parker in Manchester.

The Olympic bronze medallist's activity level appeared to earn him a judges' verdict in a competitive ten-round fight at the Co-op Live Arena.

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

Two judges had it 96-94 to the winner, with the third a 95-95 draw.

"It wasn't my greatest performance but what do champions do? They succeed," Buatsi stated in the ringside as he was greeted with negative reactions from the spectators.

The British fighter got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an epic battle with his previous opponent in last winter - to claim a 20th career victory.

Several boxing experts felt Parker, 31, merited the decision but the British boxer suffered the second defeat of his 28-bout career.

Buatsi Secures Triumph in Dull Match

His career development has plateaued in recent years through promotional disputes and long spells of inactivity.

Earlier forecast as the next star of UK boxing, he now finds himself trying to fulfil that early promise - possibly in what appears to be a ultimate opportunity - under new promotional backing.

He opened tentatively, with neither fighter prepared to be aggressive in a calculated initial rounds.

Parker, whose only previous defeat came at super middleweight against his former opponent in two years ago after damaging his hand mid-fight, was making just his second fight at light heavyweight.

By the halfway stage, the underdog had kept it close, creating difficulties for the favorite, who operated with a protective stance to barely take the better rounds.

The crowd's patience wore thin because of constant clinching, with Parker falling to the floor multiple occasions during grappling.

The underdog finished the stronger, but multiple periods were difficult to score. Although, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - commentating on the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for the challenger, scoring for Buatsi just one round.

The victor progresses, but with the presence of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Russian star Bivol ruling the division, the path to championship success - on this evidence - still looks steep.

Ricky Hatton Tribute Motivates Local Rivalry Contest

In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur beat Bradley Rea by close verdict in a terrific all-Manchester contest to win the European light heavyweight belt.

The arena fell silent for a deeply poignant homage before the fight as a bell ceremony rang in memory of the city's native Hatton, who died 46 years old in September.

It was the first major televised fight night in the location since Hatton's passing. As the concluding sound faded, the stillness became a roar of "only one Ricky Hatton".

The competition within the ring matched the feeling. Arthur was floored by a significant blow flush on the face in the initial stage, rising shakily to his position on the count of eight.

But the traditional red attire of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, Rea - in opposing blue - was injured quickly, noticeable damage developing under his orbital area as the fighters traded hard punches.

The challenger, 27, landed power punches but the champion, thirty-four, fought fire with fire with stinging uppercuts as the action rarely dropped over twelve rounds.

Arthur narrowly won the decision with official scores of even score, narrow lead and 115-112, but the two athletes were determined and full of heart, exactly what their hero Hatton embodied.