British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet underwhelming start to his career under new promoters with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's punch output appeared to earn him a judges' verdict in a competitive ten-round fight at the boxing arena.
But the challenger landed significant shots, connecting with powerful individual punches in a fight where the styles failed to mesh, with constant grabbing disrupting the action.
The scoring judges judged it 96-94 to the winner, with the remaining official a even score.
"It wasn't my greatest showing but what do champions do? They succeed," Buatsi stated in the ring as he was faced negative reactions from the audience.
The Londoner got back to winning after his maiden career setback - an epic battle with his previous opponent in February - to secure a twentieth professional win.
Some ringside observers felt Parker, thirty-one, deserved the decision but the contender suffered the second loss of his 28-fight professional journey.
The Champion Earns Win in Uneventful Affair
Buatsi's progress has plateaued in the past few years through promotional disputes and extended periods of lack of fights.
Previously predicted as the future of British boxing, he now stands trying to realize his potential - possibly in what seems like a ultimate opportunity - under recent support.
He opened tentatively, with both competitors willing to take risks in a calculated initial rounds.
The challenger, whose only previous defeat came at super-middleweight against his former opponent in two years ago after suffering a hand injury in the contest, was competing in only his second appearance at light heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, Parker had kept it close, creating difficulties for Buatsi, who worked behind a solid defense to edge the more effective rounds.
The crowd's patience wore thin amid regular grabbing, with the challenger going down various instances during close exchanges.
Parker finished the stronger, but several stanzas were difficult to score. Nevertheless, former world champion Carl Frampton - providing analysis for Dazn - had it particularly wide for the challenger, awarding Buatsi just only one stanza.
Buatsi advances, but with the likes of heavy hitter David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the road to world glory - on this evidence - still looks steep.
Ricky Hatton Memorial Motivates Manchester Derby Battle
In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by close verdict in a outstanding local rivalry battle to secure the continental belt.
The stadium grew hushed for a profoundly moving memorial prior to the bout as a bell ceremony sounded in memory of local hero Ricky Hatton, who passed away at age 46 in September.
It was the first major televised match card in the urban center since Hatton's passing. As the final chime disappeared, the quiet transitioned to a shout of "only one Hatton".
The fighting within the ring reflected the feeling. Arthur was sent to the canvas by a powerful punch flush on the chin in the initial stage, rising shakily to his footing on the count of eight.
But the Manchester United-red equipment of the fighter soon came forward again. From the other corner, Rea - in rival City blue - was damaged early, heavy swelling forming under his eye as the pair exchanged punishing blows.
Rea, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but the champion, thirty-four, responded in kind with stinging uppercuts as the action seldom decreased over twelve rounds.
The victor barely secured the decision with judges scorecards of draw, narrow lead and wider gap, but each competitor were determined and courageous, exactly what their hero Hatton represented.
