UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet disappointing debut 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 tight ten-round bout at the boxing arena.
But the challenger found success, landing some telling single shots in a match where the styles never quite clicked, with constant grabbing disrupting the fight.
The scoring judges had it 96-94 in favor to Buatsi, with the final judge a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my best display but how do champions respond? They succeed," Buatsi said in the arena as he was faced negative reactions from the crowd.
The Londoner returned to winning ways after his maiden career setback - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in last winter - to secure a twentieth professional win.
Some ringside observers believed Parker, thirty-one, should have been awarded the victory but the Derbyshire fighter endured the second loss of his 28-bout career.
Buatsi Earns Win in Slow Encounter
The fighter's advancement has stalled in recent years through contract problems and extended periods of inactivity.
Earlier forecast as the future of British boxing, he now stands trying to achieve expectations - perhaps in what seems like a ultimate opportunity - under fresh management.
He began cautiously, with both competitors willing to take risks in a tentative early stages.
Parker, whose single earlier setback came at super middleweight against John Ryder in two years ago after damaging his hand during the bout, was making just his second appearance at the higher weight class.
By the middle rounds, Parker had stayed in contention, making life awkward for the favorite, who operated with a protective stance to edge the cleaner periods.
The spectators' acceptance wore thin amid frequent holding, with Parker slipping to the canvas multiple occasions during clinches.
The underdog closed well, but several stanzas were hard to judge. However, former world champion Carl Frampton - commentating on Dazn - had it particularly wide for Parker, awarding Buatsi just one round.
The victor advances, but with the presence of heavy hitter David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the path to championship success - on this evidence - still appears challenging.
Ricky Hatton Tribute Motivates Manchester Derby Battle
In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur defeated Rea by split-decision in a excellent local rivalry battle to win the European light-heavyweight belt.
The venue fell silent for a deeply poignant memorial before the fight as 10 bells tolled in memory of Manchester's own Hatton, who died aged 46 in last month.
It was the premier televised fight night in the urban center since Hatton's passing. As the last bell faded, the silence gave way to a chant of "there's just one Ricky Hatton".
The fighting during the bout matched the sentiment. The eventual winner was knocked down by a significant blow squarely on the face in the second round, rising shakily to his feet on the referee's count.
But the traditional red attire of Arthur soon came forward again. From the other corner, the opponent - in opposing blue - was damaged quickly, significant bruising forming under his orbital area as the pair exchanged hard punches.
The challenger, 27, connected with strong blows but the champion, thirty-four, matched the intensity with stinging uppercuts as the action hardly diminished over twelve rounds.
The victor narrowly won the verdict with judges scorecards of even score, narrow lead and clearer margin, but each competitor were persistent and courageous, exactly what their hero the legend represented.
