UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet disappointing start to his career under recent management with a points victory over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's work rate seemingly secured him a judges' verdict in a competitive ten-round bout at the boxing arena.
But the challenger had his moments, connecting with powerful single shots in a match where the techniques failed to mesh, with excessive holding disrupting the action.
The officials judged it 96-94 to the winner, with the final judge a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my finest performance but what do champions do? They succeed," the victor said in the arena as he was faced negative reactions from the crowd.
The British fighter bounced back after his initial pro loss - an epic battle with Callum Smith in last winter - to secure a 20th career victory.
Some ringside observers thought Parker, 31, merited the decision but the British boxer endured the second defeat of his 28-fight professional journey.
Buatsi Earns Win in Uneventful Encounter
Buatsi's progress has slowed in the past few years through promotional disputes and considerable time of lack of fights.
Previously predicted as the next star of the British fight scene, he now is positioned trying to fulfil that early promise - maybe in what feels like a ultimate opportunity - under fresh management.
He opened tentatively, with both competitors ready to be aggressive in a cagey opening few rounds.
Parker, whose single earlier setback came at the lower weight class against John Ryder in two years ago after breaking his hand mid-fight, was competing in only his second appearance at light heavyweight.
By the middle rounds, Parker had made it competitive, creating difficulties for the favorite, who utilized a tight guard to barely take the cleaner periods.
The spectators' acceptance wore thin amid constant clinching, with the challenger slipping to the canvas several times during close exchanges.
The underdog finished the stronger, but multiple periods were difficult to score. However, previous titleholder Carl Frampton - providing analysis for the broadcast network - had it strongly leaning for Parker, giving Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi moves on, but with the caliber of power puncher David Benavidez, and Russian star Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the path to championship success - based on this performance - still looks steep.
Hatton Homage Motivates Manchester Derby Fight
In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by close verdict in a outstanding Manchester vs Manchester fight to secure the continental belt.
The venue fell silent for a deeply poignant memorial before the fight as 10 bells rang in honor of the city's native Ricky Hatton, who succumbed at age 46 in September.
It was the premier televised boxing event in the location since the passing of Hatton. As the final chime ended, the silence became a chant of "only one Ricky Hatton".
The action during the bout equaled the sentiment. Arthur was knocked down by a powerful punch squarely on the jaw in the second round, rising shakily to his footing on the count of eight.
But the traditional red attire of Arthur soon advanced again. On the opposite side, Rea - in rival City blue - was damaged early, significant bruising appearing under his orbital area as the pair landed punishing blows.
Rea, 27, delivered effective strikes but the champion, thirty-four, responded in kind with powerful upward punches as the action hardly diminished over the full distance.
The victor edged the decision with official scores of draw, 115-113 and wider gap, but both fighters were persistent and courageous, exactly what their hero Hatton embodied.
