British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet underwhelming beginning to life under fresh promotional backing with a points victory over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic bronze medallist's activity level seemingly secured him a majority decision in a tight ten-round fight at the Co-op Live Arena.
But the challenger found success, landing some telling individual punches in a fight where the approaches didn't complement each other, with excessive holding disrupting the contest.
The officials scored it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the remaining official a even score.
"It wasn't my finest display but how do champions respond? They prevail," Buatsi stated in the arena as he was met by disapproval from the audience.
The British fighter bounced back after his maiden career setback - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in last winter - to claim a 20th career victory.
Some ringside observers thought Parker, 31, should have been awarded the win but the contender suffered the second defeat of his 28-match career.
Buatsi Secures Win in Slow Affair
His career development has slowed in recent times through promotional disputes and long spells of lack of fights.
Previously predicted as the rising talent of UK boxing, he now finds himself trying to achieve expectations - 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 initial rounds.
Parker, whose sole prior loss came at the lower weight class against his former opponent in two years ago after breaking his hand in the contest, was competing in only his second fight at light heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, the underdog had made it competitive, causing problems for Buatsi, who worked behind a tight guard to narrowly win the better stanzas.
The crowd's patience decreased during regular grabbing, with Parker falling to the floor several times during grappling.
Parker finished the stronger, but many rounds were challenging to assess. However, former world champion Carl Frampton - providing analysis for the broadcast network - had it strongly leaning for Parker, giving Buatsi just only one stanza.
Buatsi progresses, but with the presence of heavy hitter David Benavidez, and Russian champion Bivol dominating the weight class, the road to world glory - based on this performance - still appears challenging.
Ricky Hatton Memorial Motivates Manchester Derby Battle
In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur beat Bradley Rea by split-decision in a terrific local rivalry fight to win the continental championship.
The stadium fell silent for a deeply poignant homage prior to the bout as a bell ceremony sounded in remembrance of local hero Hatton, who succumbed aged 46 in last month.
It was the initial significant broadcast match card in the location since Hatton's passing. As the concluding sound disappeared, the quiet gave way to a roar of "there's just one Hatton".
The fighting inside the ropes matched the feeling. The eventual winner was sent to the canvas by a left hook flush on the chin in the initial stage, getting up unsteadily to his feet on the count of eight.
But the traditional red shorts of Arthur soon came forward again. On the opposite side, Rea - in rival City blue - was injured early, noticeable damage forming under his eye as the pair landed powerful shots.
The challenger, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but the champion, thirty-four, fought fire with fire with effective uppercuts as the action seldom decreased over twelve rounds.
Arthur barely secured the verdict with official scores of draw, close margin and 115-112, but each competitor were relentless and full of heart, all the qualities their idol the legend stood for.
