British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet unimpressive beginning to life under recent management with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic bronze medallist's activity level appeared to earn him a majority decision in a competitive ten-round contest at the boxing arena.
But Parker had his moments, delivering effective clean blows in a fight where the styles failed to mesh, with constant grabbing marring the action.
Two judges scored it 96-94 in favor to Buatsi, with the remaining official a 95-95.
"It wasn't my finest performance but what defines champions? They win," Buatsi commented in the arena as he was greeted with negative reactions from the audience.
The British fighter got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an thrilling contest with his previous opponent in February - to claim a twentieth professional win.
Some ringside observers believed the challenger, thirty-one, should have been awarded the victory but the Derbyshire fighter suffered the second loss of his 28-fight career.
Buatsi Earns Victory in Dull Match
The fighter's advancement has stalled in recent times through contract problems and long spells of inactivity.
Once tipped as the rising talent of UK boxing, he now is positioned trying to achieve expectations - perhaps in what appears to be a final roll of the dice - under fresh management.
He started carefully, with the two boxers willing to be aggressive in a cagey early stages.
Parker, whose single earlier setback came at the lower weight class against John Ryder in 2022 after suffering a hand injury in the contest, was making just his second bout at light heavyweight.
By the fight's midpoint, the underdog had kept it close, creating difficulties for Buatsi, who worked behind a protective stance to barely take the more effective stanzas.
The crowd's patience diminished because of regular grabbing, with the challenger going down various instances during clinches.
The underdog ended stronger, but several stanzas were challenging to assess. Although, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - commentating on Dazn - had it strongly leaning for the challenger, awarding Buatsi just a single round.
Buatsi advances, but with the presence of heavy hitter David Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the journey to titles - on this evidence - still seems difficult.
Ricky Hatton Memorial Inspires Local Rivalry Fight
In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur beat Bradley Rea by split-decision in a terrific Manchester vs Manchester battle to secure the continental belt.
The venue became quiet for a deeply poignant tribute prior to the bout as ten bells tolled in remembrance of the city's native Ricky Hatton, who died 46 years old in last month.
It was the initial significant broadcast boxing event in the city since Hatton's passing. As the concluding sound ended, the stillness transitioned to a chant of "there's just one Hatton".
The competition inside the ropes matched the emotion. Arthur was floored by a powerful punch directly to the chin in the second round, standing uncertainly to his feet on the referee's count.
But the red-colored equipment of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, the opponent - in competitive blue - was injured quickly, heavy swelling developing under his face as the pair traded punishing blows.
Rea, 27, landed power punches but the champion, 34, responded in kind with stinging uppercuts as the pace hardly diminished over the full distance.
Arthur barely secured the decision with scoring tallies of even score, narrow lead and 115-112, but both fighters were persistent and brave, exactly what their inspiration the legend embodied.
