British light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet underwhelming start to his career under recent management with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic bronze medallist's activity level likely gained him a split decision in a close 10-round bout at the boxing arena.
But Parker had his moments, connecting with powerful individual punches in a match where the approaches never quite clicked, with constant grabbing marring the fight.
Two judges had it 96-94 to the winner, with the third a 95-95.
"It wasn't my greatest performance but what do champions do? They win," the victor stated in the ringside as he was faced negative reactions from the spectators.
The British fighter bounced back after his first professional defeat - an epic battle with his previous opponent in last winter - to earn a twentieth professional win.
Some ringside observers felt Parker, thirty-one, should have been awarded the decision but the contender suffered the second defeat of his 28-bout career.
Buatsi Claims Win in Slow Affair
His career development has slowed in the past few years through promotional disputes and long spells of inactivity.
Once tipped as the future of UK boxing, he now finds himself trying to fulfil that early promise - possibly in what feels like a ultimate opportunity - under fresh management.
He opened tentatively, with the two boxers willing to take risks in a tentative opening few rounds.
Parker, whose sole prior loss came at super-middleweight against his former opponent in two years ago after breaking his hand mid-fight, was participating in his second bout at light heavyweight.
By the middle rounds, the underdog had stayed in contention, creating difficulties for Buatsi, who utilized a protective stance to edge the cleaner periods.
The audience's tolerance diminished during regular grabbing, with Parker falling to the floor several times during close exchanges.
Parker finished the stronger, but multiple periods were difficult to score. Nevertheless, former world champion the boxing analyst - commentating on Dazn - had it particularly wide for the challenger, scoring for Buatsi just one round.
The victor moves on, but with the likes of hard hitter David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol ruling the division, the journey to titles - based on this performance - still appears challenging.
Hatton Homage Fuels All-Manchester Fight
In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur beat Rea by close verdict in a excellent local rivalry contest to secure the continental belt.
The arena became quiet for a extremely emotional homage before the fight as a bell ceremony tolled in remembrance of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who died at age 46 in September.
It was the premier televised match card in the location since Hatton's death. As the last bell disappeared, the quiet transitioned to a shout of "there's only one Hatton".
The fighting within the ring reflected the feeling. Arthur was floored by a left hook squarely on the chin in the early round, standing uncertainly to his footing on the referee's count.
But the Manchester United-red equipment of the fighter soon advanced again. On the opposite side, the opponent - in opposing blue - was injured soon, heavy swelling forming under his orbital area as the fighters landed punishing blows.
Rea, twenty-seven, landed power punches but Arthur, 34, responded in kind with effective uppercuts as the pace hardly diminished over twelve rounds.
Arthur edged the verdict with official scores of even score, close margin and 115-112, but both fighters were determined and full of heart, exactly what their hero Hatton stood for.
