British light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet underwhelming start to life under fresh promotional backing with a points victory over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic bronze medallist's work rate appeared to earn him a judges' verdict in a close ten-round contest at the boxing arena.
But the challenger had his moments, connecting with powerful single shots in a contest where the styles didn't complement each other, with constant grabbing marring the action.
The scoring judges had it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the third a even score.
"It wasn't my finest showing but what do champions do? They succeed," Buatsi said in the ring as he was greeted with boos from the crowd.
The Londoner bounced back after his maiden career setback - an epic battle with his previous opponent in last winter - to earn a 20th pro success.
Various analysts believed the challenger, thirty-one, merited the decision but the British boxer experienced the second loss of his 28-bout professional journey.
Buatsi Claims Victory in Dull Affair
His career development has stalled in recent times through promotional disputes and considerable time of inactivity.
Earlier forecast as the next star of British boxing, he now stands trying to fulfil that early promise - perhaps in what appears to be a ultimate opportunity - under new promotional backing.
He began cautiously, with neither fighter willing to take risks in a cagey initial rounds.
Parker, whose only previous defeat came at super middleweight against his former opponent in two years ago after breaking his hand mid-fight, was competing in only his second bout at light-heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, the underdog had stayed in contention, making life awkward for Buatsi, who utilized a solid defense to edge the better rounds.
The audience's tolerance wore thin because of frequent holding, with the challenger slipping to the canvas various instances during clinches.
The underdog closed well, but several stanzas were challenging to assess. Nevertheless, former world champion the boxing analyst - working with Dazn - had it strongly leaning for Parker, awarding Buatsi just only one stanza.
The victor advances, but with the presence of power puncher David Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol ruling the division, the journey to titles - based on this performance - still seems difficult.
Ricky Hatton Tribute Motivates All-Manchester Fight
In the supporting bout, Arthur beat Bradley Rea by split-decision in a terrific local rivalry fight to capture the European light heavyweight belt.
The arena fell silent for a profoundly moving tribute before the fight as 10 bells tolled in honor of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who succumbed aged 46 in last month.
It was the initial significant broadcast match card in the urban center since Hatton's passing. As the final chime ended, the quiet gave way to a roar of "there's only one Hatton".
The competition inside the ropes equaled the sentiment. Arthur was floored by a powerful punch flush on the chin in the initial stage, standing uncertainly to his position on the referee's count.
But the traditional red shorts of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. On the opposite side, Rea - in rival City blue - was marked up early, noticeable damage developing under his eye as the duo exchanged punishing blows.
The challenger, 27, landed power punches but the champion, 34, matched the intensity with effective uppercuts as the pace rarely dropped over the full distance.
The victor edged the result with scoring tallies of draw, narrow lead and 115-112, but the two athletes were persistent and full of heart, exactly what their idol the legend stood for.
