British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet disappointing beginning to life under recent management with a points victory over Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's activity level appeared to earn him a judges' verdict in a close ten-round bout at the Manchester venue.
But the challenger landed significant shots, connecting with powerful individual punches in a match where the techniques never quite clicked, with frequent clinching spoiling the contest.
The officials had it 96-94 in favor to Buatsi, with the third a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my finest performance but what defines champions? They succeed," the victor stated in the ringside as he was met by disapproval from the crowd.
The Londoner returned to winning ways after his initial pro loss - an memorable fight with his previous opponent in February - to claim a twentieth professional win.
Several boxing experts believed the challenger, thirty-one, deserved the victory but the contender experienced the second loss of his 28-bout career.
The Champion Claims Win in Dull Affair
His career development has slowed in recent years through management issues and considerable time of inactivity.
Earlier forecast as the future of British boxing, he now is positioned trying to achieve expectations - maybe in what feels like a final roll of the dice - under new promotional backing.
He started carefully, with neither fighter prepared to be aggressive in a tentative opening few rounds.
The challenger, whose sole prior loss came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in two years ago after suffering a hand injury in the contest, was competing in only his second fight at light heavyweight.
By the fight's midpoint, the underdog had made it competitive, causing problems for the favorite, who utilized a tight guard to edge the more effective periods.
The spectators' acceptance decreased during regular grabbing, with the challenger going down several times during clinches.
The underdog closed well, but many rounds were challenging to assess. However, former world champion the boxing analyst - working with the broadcast network - had it significantly in favor for the challenger, giving Buatsi just only one stanza.
The victor progresses, but with the likes of power puncher Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Bivol dominating the weight class, the journey to titles - on this evidence - still seems difficult.
Ricky Hatton Tribute Fuels Manchester Derby Battle
In the co-main event, Arthur overcame Rea by split-decision in a outstanding Manchester vs Manchester battle to win the European light heavyweight title.
The arena fell silent for a deeply poignant tribute before the fight as a bell ceremony sounded in honor of Manchester's own Hatton, who succumbed aged 46 in recently.
It was the initial significant broadcast boxing event in the urban center since Hatton's passing. As the final chime faded, the stillness gave way to a chant of "there's just one Ricky Hatton".
The competition inside the ropes matched the emotion. The eventual winner was floored by a powerful punch squarely on the face in the early round, standing uncertainly to his position on the referee's count.
But the red-colored equipment of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, the opponent - in opposing blue - was damaged soon, significant bruising forming under his eye as the fighters exchanged hard punches.
The challenger, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but the champion, 34, responded in kind with powerful upward punches as the intensity hardly diminished over 12 rounds.
The victor edged the result with official scores of draw, 115-113 and wider gap, but both fighters were determined and courageous, exactly what their hero the legend stood for.
