British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet unimpressive debut to life under fresh promotional backing with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic bronze medallist's punch output appeared to earn him a majority decision in a close 10-round contest at the Co-op Live Arena.
But the challenger had his moments, landing some telling individual punches in a match where the styles didn't complement each other, with constant grabbing disrupting the fight.
Two judges judged it 96-94 to the winner, with the remaining official a 95-95.
"It wasn't my best display but what defines champions? They prevail," the victor commented in the arena as he was faced boos from the crowd.
The British fighter returned to winning ways after his maiden career setback - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in last winter - to earn a 20th pro success.
Several boxing experts believed Parker, 31, should have been awarded the decision but the Derbyshire fighter experienced the second loss of his 28-fight professional journey.
Buatsi Earns Win in Dull Encounter
His career development has stalled in the past few years through contract problems and extended periods of inactivity.
Previously predicted as the rising talent of the British fight scene, he now is positioned trying to fulfil that early promise - possibly in what appears to be a last chance - under fresh management.
He opened tentatively, with the two boxers ready to be aggressive in a tentative early stages.
The challenger, whose single earlier setback came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in 2022 after suffering a hand injury in the contest, was competing in only his second appearance at the higher weight class.
By the halfway stage, Parker had made it competitive, causing problems for the favorite, who utilized a solid defense to barely take the cleaner stanzas.
The spectators' acceptance diminished because of frequent holding, with Parker slipping to the canvas multiple occasions during clinches.
The underdog ended stronger, but several stanzas were difficult to score. Nevertheless, ex-champion Carl Frampton - working with Dazn - had it particularly wide for Parker, giving Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi moves on, but with the likes of hard hitter David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the journey to titles - judging by this showing - still looks steep.
Hatton Memorial Fuels Local Rivalry Fight
In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur beat Bradley Rea by split-decision in a terrific Manchester vs Manchester fight to win the European light-heavyweight title.
The stadium became quiet for a deeply poignant memorial before the fight as ten bells tolled in memory of local hero Ricky Hatton, who passed away 46 years old in September.
It was the initial significant broadcast fight night in the urban center since Hatton's passing. As the final chime ended, the quiet gave way to a chant of "there's just one Hatton".
The fighting inside the ropes equaled the emotion. Arthur was floored by a powerful punch directly to the chin in the early round, standing uncertainly to his position on the referee's count.
But the Manchester United-red shorts of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, Rea - in opposing blue - was marked up quickly, significant bruising developing under his face as the pair traded punishing blows.
The challenger, 27, connected with strong blows but Arthur, 34, fought fire with fire with effective uppercuts as the action hardly diminished over 12 rounds.
Arthur narrowly won the decision with judges scorecards of draw, 115-113 and wider gap, but the two athletes were determined and courageous, all the qualities their idol Hatton embodied.
