Parker was the more active fighter through and Fury’s elusive style proved not enough to win the judges over.
Fury’s camp celebrated the final bell as though it was a foregone conclusion but he did not win one card, losing a majority decision with one draw and two scoring him down by eight rounds.
For all the nay-sayers and snide comments about ticket sales, the VIP seats had plenty of boxing celebrities testing their structural integrity.
Tyson Fury, Billy Joe Saunders and David Price just to name a few men who would have bolstered the undercard of a fight that badly needed it.
Barely 5,000 filed into the Manchester Arena, hosting boxing for the first time since Ariana Grande’s concert ended in an act of mindless violence.
The music was again loud but it did little to improve the atmosphere in the venue where the fact that two unbeaten heavyweights were facing off for a world title barely seemed to register.
On paper, Fury had the chance to achieve something historic. The names of those younger than the 23-year-old to win a world heavyweight title are people like Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali. Fury may not be of that ilk but he could at least put himself on the same piece of paper.
The opening stages of the fight, that followed a number of anthem-related technological glitches and Fury’s bizarre decision to wear a mini-skirt style garment, went according to the script.
Parker boxed on the offensive while Fury jabbed off the back foot, happy to play the role of the counter-puncher.
It wasn’t until the fourth round that Fury really landed a shot of any significance, a fine short upper cut as Parker charged in again, but Parker finished the round stronger.
The fourth also saw Fury cut in an accidental clash of heads, although it seemed to dash the challenger’s nascent confidence. But Parker struggled to capitalise fully, thrown off-balance time and again by Fury’s movement.
In the heart of the fight, neither boxer could take control but what was noticeable was that Fury’s chin was impeccable, taking some of Parker’s biggest punches without so much as a flinch.
But the fact remained that Parker appeared to be landing the heavier shots.
However, when the final bell sounded, with Fury appropriately enough on the ropes defending, his cousin Tyson lept into the ring, lifting who he thought was the new world champion up in the air.
But minutes later they were both left aghast as the majority decision went against them.