UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet underwhelming start to life under fresh promotional backing with a decision win over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's work rate appeared to earn him a majority decision in a competitive ten-round bout at the boxing arena.
But Parker had his moments, landing some telling clean blows in a match where the techniques didn't complement each other, with excessive holding spoiling the action.
The scoring judges had it 96-94 in favor to Buatsi, with the final judge a even score.
"It wasn't my best display but what defines champions? They prevail," Buatsi commented in the ringside as he was faced boos from the crowd.
The British fighter got back to winning after his initial pro loss - an epic battle with Callum Smith in last winter - to earn a twentieth professional win.
Several boxing experts thought Parker, thirty-one, deserved the decision but the contender experienced the second defeat of his 28-bout career.
The Champion Claims Win in Dull Encounter
The fighter's advancement has slowed in recent years through promotional disputes and considerable time of lack of fights.
Once tipped as the next star of UK boxing, he now is positioned trying to fulfil that early promise - maybe in what seems like a ultimate opportunity - under new promotional backing.
He started carefully, with both competitors prepared to take risks in a tentative early stages.
The challenger, whose sole prior loss came at super-middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after damaging his hand during the bout, was making just his second fight at light heavyweight.
By the fight's midpoint, Parker had made it competitive, causing problems for the favorite, who worked behind a tight guard to barely take the cleaner stanzas.
The audience's tolerance decreased because of regular grabbing, with Parker slipping to the canvas various instances during clinches.
The underdog ended stronger, but many rounds were hard to judge. Nevertheless, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - commentating on the broadcast network - had it strongly leaning for Parker, scoring for Buatsi just a single round.
The victor progresses, but with the presence of heavy hitter David Benavidez, and Russian star Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the journey to titles - on this evidence - still looks steep.
Hatton Homage Fuels Manchester Derby Battle
In the co-main event, Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by divided decision in a excellent Manchester vs Manchester contest to win the European light-heavyweight title.
The stadium grew hushed for a profoundly moving homage before the fight as 10 bells rang in honor of local hero Hatton, who died at age 46 in recently.
It was the initial significant broadcast fight night in the city since the passing of Hatton. As the concluding sound disappeared, the quiet became a roar of "only one Ricky Hatton".
The fighting during the bout matched the emotion. Arthur was sent to the canvas by a left hook flush on the chin in the early round, rising shakily to his position on the count of eight.
But the Manchester United-red shorts of Arthur soon came forward again. From the other corner, the opponent - in opposing blue - was marked up early, noticeable damage forming under his orbital area as the pair exchanged hard punches.
Rea, 27, delivered effective strikes but the champion, 34, matched the intensity with powerful upward punches as the pace rarely dropped over 12 rounds.
Arthur edged the decision with scoring tallies of 114-114, close margin and wider gap, but both fighters were relentless and courageous, everything their hero the legend represented.
