Underwhelming Buatsi Defeats Zach Parker in Manchester
UK light-heavyweight Buatsi made a winning yet disappointing beginning to life under new promoters with a decision win over Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic bronze medallist's activity level appeared to earn him a split decision in a close 10-round fight at the Co-op Live Arena.
But Parker found success, delivering effective clean blows in a contest where the approaches never quite clicked, with constant grabbing marring the action.
The officials scored it 96-94 for to Buatsi, with the final judge a 95-95.
"It wasn't my finest performance but how do champions respond? They succeed," the victor said in the ringside as he was met by boos from the crowd.
The Londoner returned to winning ways after his first professional defeat - an thrilling contest with his previous opponent in February - to claim a 20th pro success.
Several boxing experts thought Parker, 31, merited the win but the contender experienced the second setback of his 28-bout career.
The Champion Earns Win in Dull Affair
The fighter's advancement has stalled in the past few years through promotional disputes and long spells of lack of fights.
Earlier forecast as the rising talent of the British fight scene, he now stands trying to fulfil that early promise - possibly in what seems like a ultimate opportunity - under recent support.
He started carefully, with the two boxers willing to take risks in a tentative initial rounds.
The challenger, whose single earlier setback came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in 2022 after breaking his hand mid-fight, was competing in only his second bout at light heavyweight.
By the middle rounds, Parker had kept it close, creating difficulties for Buatsi, who operated with a tight guard to barely take the more effective stanzas.
The audience's tolerance diminished amid constant clinching, with Parker falling to the floor several times during close exchanges.
Parker ended stronger, but many rounds were difficult to score. Although, former world champion Carl Frampton - providing analysis for Dazn - had it strongly leaning for Parker, awarding Buatsi just only one stanza.
The victor moves on, but with the likes of hard hitter Benavidez, and Russian star Dmitry Bivol ruling the division, the road to world glory - based on this performance - still looks steep.
Hatton Tribute Motivates Manchester Derby Contest
In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by divided decision in a terrific all-Manchester fight to win the continental championship.
The venue grew hushed for a extremely emotional homage ahead of the contest as ten bells tolled in honor of local hero Hatton, who passed away 46 years old in recently.
It was the first major televised boxing event in the urban center since Hatton's passing. As the final chime faded, the quiet became a chant of "there's just one Ricky Hatton".
The fighting during the bout matched the emotion. Arthur was floored by a powerful punch squarely on the jaw in the initial stage, standing uncertainly to his feet on the eight count.
But the Manchester United-red equipment of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. On the opposite side, the opponent - in opposing blue - was damaged early, significant bruising appearing under his eye as the fighters exchanged hard punches.
The challenger, twenty-seven, landed power punches but the champion, thirty-four, matched the intensity with powerful upward punches as the action hardly diminished over the full distance.
The victor barely secured the decision with official scores of draw, close margin and wider gap, but each competitor were relentless and courageous, exactly what their hero the legend represented.
