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 the Manchester arena.
The Olympic bronze medallist's activity level appeared to earn him a majority decision in a tight ten-round fight at the Co-op Live Arena.
But Parker found success, delivering effective single shots in a contest where the approaches didn't complement each other, with constant grabbing marring the contest.
The officials scored it 96-94 for to Buatsi, with the final judge a even score.
"It wasn't my best display but what defines champions? They win," the victor commented in the arena as he was greeted with disapproval from the audience.
The British fighter bounced back after his maiden career setback - an epic battle with Callum Smith in February - to earn a twentieth professional win.
Various analysts believed the challenger, 31, merited the decision but the British boxer endured the second loss of his 28-fight professional journey.
The Champion Claims Victory in Uneventful Match
Buatsi's progress has stalled in recent years through contract problems and considerable time of inactivity.
Previously predicted as the rising talent of British boxing, he now finds himself trying to achieve expectations - possibly in what appears to be a ultimate opportunity - under new promotional backing.
He started carefully, with the two boxers willing to take risks in a tentative opening few rounds.
Parker, whose only previous defeat came at the lower weight class against John Ryder in two years ago after breaking his hand during the bout, was making just his second fight at light heavyweight.
By the middle rounds, the underdog had kept it close, causing problems for Buatsi, who operated with a protective stance to narrowly win the better rounds.
The crowd's patience decreased amid frequent holding, with Parker going down multiple occasions during clinches.
Parker ended stronger, but many rounds were hard to judge. Nevertheless, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - working with the broadcast network - had it significantly in favor for the challenger, scoring for Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi moves on, but with the likes of power puncher David Benavidez, and Russian star Dmitry Bivol ruling the division, the journey to titles - on this evidence - still seems difficult.
Hatton Homage Inspires All-Manchester Battle
In the co-main event, Arthur beat Bradley Rea by split-decision in a outstanding all-Manchester contest to win the continental title.
The arena grew hushed for a extremely emotional homage prior to the bout as a bell ceremony tolled in memory of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who died 46 years old in last month.
It was the initial significant broadcast match card in the location since Hatton's passing. As the concluding sound faded, the quiet became a chant of "there's just one Hatton".
The action during the bout matched the sentiment. Arthur was knocked down by a significant blow directly to the chin in the initial stage, standing uncertainly to his feet on the eight count.
But the red-colored attire of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, the opponent - in rival City blue - was marked up quickly, heavy swelling forming under his orbital area as the duo exchanged punishing blows.
Rea, twenty-seven, connected with strong blows but Arthur, 34, responded in kind with stinging uppercuts as the intensity rarely dropped over twelve rounds.
Arthur edged the verdict with official scores of 114-114, close margin and wider gap, but both fighters were determined and courageous, everything their hero Hatton represented.
