UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet disappointing debut to life under new promoters with a decision win over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's activity level appeared to earn him a majority decision in a competitive ten-round bout at the boxing arena.
But Parker landed significant shots, landing some telling single shots in a fight where the styles never quite clicked, with frequent clinching marring the contest.
Two judges judged it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the remaining official a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my finest performance but what do champions do? They win," Buatsi stated in the ring as he was faced negative reactions from the crowd.
The British fighter returned to winning ways after his first professional defeat - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in February - to claim a 20th pro success.
Several boxing experts believed Parker, 31, merited the victory but the British boxer suffered the second setback of his 28-match career.
The Champion Secures Victory in Slow Match
His career development has plateaued in recent times through management issues and considerable time of lack of fights.
Once tipped as the future of British boxing, he now is positioned trying to fulfil that early promise - maybe in what feels like a final roll of the dice - under fresh management.
He started carefully, with both competitors prepared to take risks in a calculated early stages.
The challenger, whose single earlier setback came at super middleweight against his former opponent in two years ago after suffering a hand injury mid-fight, was making just his second appearance at light heavyweight.
By the middle rounds, Parker had kept it close, creating difficulties for Buatsi, who utilized a protective stance to narrowly win the better periods.
The spectators' acceptance decreased because of frequent holding, with the challenger slipping to the canvas various instances during grappling.
Parker finished the stronger, but multiple periods were challenging to assess. Nevertheless, former world champion the boxing analyst - providing analysis for the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for Parker, giving Buatsi just only one stanza.
The victor progresses, but with the likes of hard hitter Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Bivol dominating the weight class, the path to championship success - judging by this showing - still appears challenging.
Ricky Hatton Memorial Fuels Local Rivalry Battle
In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur overcame Bradley Rea by split-decision in a excellent all-Manchester battle to capture the continental title.
The venue became quiet for a profoundly moving memorial before the fight as a bell ceremony tolled in remembrance of local hero Hatton, who succumbed aged 46 in September.
It was the premier televised boxing event in the urban center since Hatton's passing. As the concluding sound disappeared, the quiet became a roar of "there's just one Hatton".
The competition within the ring reflected the sentiment. Arthur was sent to the canvas by a left hook directly to the face in the initial stage, rising shakily to his footing on the eight count.
But the Manchester United-red shorts of Arthur soon came forward again. From the other corner, Rea - in rival City blue - was marked up early, significant bruising forming under his eye as the duo landed punishing blows.
The challenger, 27, landed power punches but the champion, thirty-four, responded in kind with effective uppercuts as the pace seldom decreased over the full distance.
Arthur barely secured the result with official scores of even score, close margin and 115-112, but the two athletes were relentless and full of heart, everything their idol Hatton stood for.
