British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet unimpressive start to his career under new promoters with a points victory over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic bronze medallist's punch output appeared to earn him a judges' verdict in a close ten-round fight at the boxing arena.
But the challenger landed significant shots, delivering effective individual punches in a fight where the approaches failed to mesh, with constant grabbing marring the contest.
The scoring judges had it 96-94 to the winner, with the third a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my greatest performance but what defines champions? They prevail," the victor said in the arena as he was met by negative reactions from the crowd.
The British fighter got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an epic battle with his previous opponent in last winter - to earn a twentieth professional win.
Various analysts believed the challenger, thirty-one, merited the win but the British boxer endured the second setback of his 28-fight professional journey.
Buatsi Claims Victory in Dull Affair
His career development has slowed in recent times through contract problems and extended periods of inactivity.
Earlier forecast as the next star of the British fight scene, he now stands trying to achieve expectations - possibly in what appears to be a ultimate opportunity - under recent support.
He started carefully, with neither fighter willing to be aggressive in a cagey initial rounds.
Parker, whose single earlier setback came at the lower weight class against John Ryder in two years ago after breaking his hand in the contest, was competing in only his second bout at the higher weight class.
By the middle rounds, the underdog had made it competitive, making life awkward for Buatsi, who worked behind a solid defense to edge the better rounds.
The spectators' acceptance decreased during frequent holding, with Parker slipping to the canvas various instances during clinches.
Parker finished the stronger, but several stanzas were hard to judge. Nevertheless, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - working with the broadcast network - had it significantly in favor for Parker, scoring for Buatsi just one round.
The victor progresses, but with the likes of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Russian star Bivol dominating the weight class, the journey to titles - judging by this showing - still seems difficult.
Hatton Memorial Inspires All-Manchester Contest
In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur overcame Rea by close verdict in a terrific local rivalry fight to secure the European light heavyweight title.
The stadium became quiet for a extremely emotional memorial before the fight as ten bells tolled in memory of local hero Ricky Hatton, who succumbed at age 46 in September.
It was the premier televised boxing event in the location since Hatton's death. As the last bell ended, the quiet transitioned to a chant of "there's just one Ricky Hatton".
The action within the ring matched the sentiment. The eventual winner was knocked down by a significant blow directly to the jaw in the second round, getting up unsteadily to his feet on the eight count.
But the traditional red equipment of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, the opponent - in opposing blue - was marked up soon, heavy swelling forming under his orbital area as the pair traded punishing blows.
The challenger, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but Arthur, thirty-four, matched the intensity with effective uppercuts as the pace seldom decreased over twelve rounds.
The victor barely secured the decision with judges scorecards of even score, close margin and clearer margin, but both fighters were relentless and brave, everything their idol Hatton stood for.
