UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet underwhelming beginning to his career under fresh promotional backing with a decision win over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic bronze medallist's punch output appeared to earn him a majority decision in a competitive 10-round bout at the boxing arena.
But Parker found success, delivering effective clean blows in a match where the styles failed to mesh, with frequent clinching marring the action.
Two judges judged it 96-94 to the winner, with the third a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my best performance but what do champions do? They win," Buatsi stated in the arena as he was faced negative reactions from the crowd.
The Londoner got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in last winter - to secure a twentieth professional win.
Some ringside observers felt the challenger, thirty-one, merited the win but the Derbyshire fighter endured the second defeat of his 28-bout career.
The Champion Claims Win in Uneventful Encounter
The fighter's advancement has stalled in recent times through contract problems and considerable time of inactivity.
Once tipped as the next star of UK boxing, he now finds himself trying to achieve expectations - maybe in what appears to be a last chance - under new promotional backing.
He began cautiously, with both competitors prepared to be aggressive in a cagey initial rounds.
Parker, 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 the higher weight class.
By the fight's midpoint, Parker had kept it close, making life awkward for Buatsi, who operated with a tight guard to narrowly win the better periods.
The crowd's patience diminished amid frequent holding, with the challenger slipping to the canvas several times during close exchanges.
Parker finished the stronger, but several stanzas were challenging to assess. Although, previous titleholder Carl Frampton - commentating on Dazn - had it significantly in favor for Parker, awarding Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi progresses, but with the presence of hard hitter David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the road to world glory - judging by this showing - still looks steep.
Hatton Homage Inspires Manchester Derby Contest
In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur beat Rea by split-decision in a excellent all-Manchester contest to win the European light heavyweight championship.
The arena became quiet for a deeply poignant memorial ahead of the contest as ten bells tolled in honor of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who succumbed aged 46 in recently.
It was the first major televised fight night in the location since Hatton's passing. As the last bell ended, the stillness became a chant of "only one Hatton".
The action during the bout reflected the sentiment. Arthur was sent to the canvas by a powerful punch squarely on the face in the early round, rising shakily to his position on the count of eight.
But the Manchester United-red equipment of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. From the other corner, the opponent - in competitive blue - was marked up early, heavy swelling appearing under his orbital area as the duo exchanged punishing blows.
The challenger, 27, landed power punches but the champion, thirty-four, fought fire with fire with stinging uppercuts as the action seldom decreased over twelve rounds.
The victor barely secured the result with scoring tallies of even score, 115-113 and clearer margin, but the two athletes were determined and full of heart, all the qualities their inspiration Hatton represented.
