UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet disappointing beginning to his career under fresh promotional backing with a points victory over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic bronze medallist's work rate likely gained him a judges' verdict in a close 10-round bout at the Co-op Live Arena.
But Parker found success, connecting with powerful individual punches in a fight where the techniques failed to mesh, with excessive holding marring the fight.
The scoring judges judged it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the final judge a 95-95.
"It wasn't my best display but what do champions do? They prevail," the victor commented in the arena as he was greeted with disapproval from the crowd.
The British fighter got back to winning after his maiden career setback - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in last winter - to claim a 20th career victory.
Several boxing experts thought the challenger, thirty-one, merited the decision but the British boxer endured the second defeat of his 28-match professional journey.
Buatsi Earns Win in Dull Affair
His career development has slowed in recent times through promotional disputes and long spells of inactivity.
Once tipped as the future of the British fight scene, he now is positioned trying to fulfil that early promise - maybe in what appears to be a ultimate opportunity - under recent support.
He opened tentatively, with both competitors ready to overcommit in a tentative initial rounds.
Parker, whose sole prior loss came at super middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after damaging his hand during the bout, was participating in his second fight at light heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, Parker had made it competitive, making life awkward for Buatsi, who worked behind a protective stance to narrowly win the more effective rounds.
The spectators' acceptance wore thin because of regular grabbing, with the challenger slipping to the canvas multiple occasions during close exchanges.
Parker finished the stronger, but several stanzas were difficult to score. However, former world champion Carl Frampton - working with the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for Parker, scoring for Buatsi just only one stanza.
The victor moves on, but with the likes of power puncher David Benavidez, and Russian star Bivol leading the category, the journey to titles - on this evidence - still appears challenging.
Hatton Homage Inspires Local Rivalry Fight
In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur beat Bradley Rea by divided decision in a outstanding all-Manchester battle to capture the European light-heavyweight championship.
The stadium became quiet for a deeply poignant tribute prior to the bout as a bell ceremony tolled in memory of Manchester's own Hatton, who passed away aged 46 in September.
It was the initial significant broadcast boxing event in the location since Hatton's passing. As the last bell faded, the silence transitioned to a chant of "only one Ricky Hatton".
The competition within the ring reflected the sentiment. Arthur was floored by a significant blow squarely on the face in the second round, rising shakily to his footing on the eight count.
But the red-colored attire of Arthur soon came forward again. From the other corner, the opponent - in competitive blue - was injured quickly, significant bruising developing under his face as the duo exchanged powerful shots.
The challenger, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but Arthur, 34, matched the intensity with powerful upward punches as the intensity hardly diminished over 12 rounds.
The victor edged the result with judges scorecards of even score, narrow lead and wider gap, but both fighters were persistent and full of heart, all the qualities their hero the legend stood for.
