UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet unimpressive debut to his career under fresh promotional backing with a points victory over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's activity level likely gained him a judges' verdict in a tight ten-round bout at the Manchester venue.
But Parker had his moments, delivering effective individual punches in a match where the approaches failed to mesh, with frequent clinching spoiling the fight.
Two judges scored it 96-94 to the winner, with the third a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my greatest performance but how do champions respond? They prevail," the victor stated in the ringside as he was greeted with negative reactions from the audience.
The British fighter got back to winning after his initial pro loss - an thrilling contest with Callum Smith in last winter - to secure a 20th career victory.
Various analysts thought the challenger, 31, should have been awarded the decision but the British boxer suffered the second defeat of his 28-bout career.
The Champion Secures Win in Dull Affair
Buatsi's progress has slowed in recent times through promotional disputes and long spells of inactivity.
Once tipped as the rising talent of UK boxing, he now stands trying to realize his potential - possibly in what seems like a final roll of the dice - under new promotional backing.
He began cautiously, with the two boxers prepared to be aggressive in a cagey opening few rounds.
The challenger, whose only previous defeat came at super-middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after breaking his hand mid-fight, was making just his second appearance at light-heavyweight.
By the fight's midpoint, the underdog had made it competitive, causing problems for Buatsi, who worked behind a protective stance to narrowly win the more effective periods.
The spectators' acceptance decreased amid frequent holding, with the challenger slipping to the canvas various instances during grappling.
Parker finished the stronger, but several stanzas were challenging to assess. Nevertheless, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - working with Dazn - had it particularly wide for Parker, scoring for Buatsi just only one stanza.
Buatsi advances, but with the caliber of power puncher David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Bivol dominating the weight class, the journey to titles - judging by this showing - still appears challenging.
Hatton Memorial Fuels Local Rivalry Contest
In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur overcame Bradley Rea by divided decision in a excellent local rivalry contest to secure the European light heavyweight title.
The stadium grew hushed for a deeply poignant memorial before the fight as ten bells sounded in memory of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who died at age 46 in September.
It was the initial significant broadcast boxing event in the location since Hatton's passing. As the final chime ended, the stillness transitioned to a shout of "only one Ricky Hatton".
The action during the bout reflected the emotion. Arthur was floored by a powerful punch flush on the jaw in the second round, standing uncertainly to his footing on the count of eight.
But the red-colored shorts of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, the opponent - in rival City blue - was damaged soon, noticeable damage developing under his face as the duo exchanged punishing blows.
The challenger, 27, landed power punches but Arthur, 34, matched the intensity with stinging uppercuts as the intensity hardly diminished over twelve rounds.
The victor barely secured the result with official scores of draw, 115-113 and clearer margin, but both fighters were relentless and full of heart, everything their idol the legend embodied.
