UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet underwhelming start to life under fresh promotional backing with a points victory over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's punch output appeared to earn him a majority decision in a close 10-round fight at the Co-op Live Arena.
But the challenger landed significant shots, delivering effective individual punches in a match where the styles failed to mesh, with frequent clinching marring the fight.
The officials had it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the third a 95-95.
"It wasn't my greatest showing but what do champions do? They succeed," Buatsi commented in the ringside as he was greeted with negative reactions from the crowd.
The British fighter got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an epic battle with Callum Smith in February - to claim a twentieth professional win.
Several boxing experts believed Parker, 31, should have been awarded the win but the Derbyshire fighter suffered the second defeat of his 28-bout career.
The Champion Claims Triumph in Uneventful Affair
The fighter's advancement has stalled in recent times through contract problems and long spells of inactivity.
Earlier forecast as the future of British boxing, he now finds himself trying to achieve expectations - maybe in what seems like a ultimate opportunity - under recent support.
He opened tentatively, with neither fighter willing to overcommit in a tentative early stages.
Parker, whose only previous defeat came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in 2022 after damaging his hand during the bout, was competing in only his second bout at light-heavyweight.
By the middle rounds, the underdog had kept it close, creating difficulties for Buatsi, who utilized a tight guard to edge the better rounds.
The crowd's patience diminished during regular grabbing, with Parker falling to the floor several times during close exchanges.
Parker closed well, but many rounds were difficult to score. Although, ex-champion Carl Frampton - working with the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for Parker, awarding Buatsi just only one stanza.
Buatsi moves on, but with the presence of heavy hitter David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Bivol ruling the division, the path to championship success - based on this performance - still appears challenging.
Hatton Memorial Fuels Local Rivalry Battle
In the supporting bout, Arthur beat Rea by divided decision in a outstanding local rivalry battle to win the European light heavyweight belt.
The venue grew hushed for a profoundly moving homage ahead of the contest as a bell ceremony sounded in remembrance of local hero Ricky Hatton, who died at age 46 in last month.
It was the first major televised fight night in the location since Hatton's death. As the final chime disappeared, the silence became a chant of "there's just one Ricky Hatton".
The fighting within the ring equaled the emotion. Arthur was knocked down by a powerful punch squarely on the jaw in the early round, getting up unsteadily to his feet on the count of eight.
But the red-colored shorts of Arthur soon advanced again. On the opposite side, the opponent - in opposing blue - was injured soon, significant bruising forming under his orbital area as the fighters traded punishing blows.
Rea, 27, connected with strong blows but the champion, 34, matched the intensity with effective uppercuts as the pace rarely dropped over the full distance.
Arthur barely secured the decision with official scores of draw, close margin and clearer margin, but the two athletes were persistent and courageous, everything their idol the legend stood for.
