UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet unimpressive beginning to his career under recent management with a points victory over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic bronze medallist's work rate likely gained him a judges' verdict in a tight ten-round bout at the Co-op Live Arena.
But the challenger found success, landing some telling clean blows in a fight where the approaches didn't complement each other, with excessive holding disrupting the fight.
The scoring judges judged it 96-94 to the winner, with the final judge a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my finest display but what defines champions? They succeed," Buatsi commented in the ringside as he was faced negative reactions from the audience.
The British fighter bounced back after his maiden career setback - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in February - to secure a 20th pro success.
Various analysts felt Parker, thirty-one, merited the victory but the British boxer suffered the second defeat of his 28-bout professional journey.
Buatsi Claims Win in Uneventful Encounter
The fighter's advancement has plateaued in the past few years through management issues and considerable time of inactivity.
Previously predicted as the rising talent of the British fight scene, he now stands trying to fulfil that early promise - maybe in what appears to be a ultimate opportunity - under recent support.
He began cautiously, with both competitors ready to take risks in a cagey initial rounds.
Parker, whose only previous defeat came at the lower weight class against John Ryder in 2022 after suffering a hand injury in the contest, was participating in his second bout at the higher weight class.
By the middle rounds, Parker had kept it close, making life awkward for the favorite, who operated with a solid defense to barely take the cleaner stanzas.
The crowd's patience decreased because of frequent holding, with Parker falling to the floor several times during grappling.
Parker finished the stronger, but multiple periods were difficult to score. Although, former world champion the boxing analyst - commentating on Dazn - had it strongly leaning for Parker, giving Buatsi just only one stanza.
Buatsi advances, but with the likes of hard hitter Benavidez, and Russian star Bivol dominating the weight class, the journey to titles - based on this performance - still seems difficult.
Hatton Memorial Fuels All-Manchester Battle
In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur overcame Rea by divided decision in a excellent all-Manchester fight to capture the European light heavyweight belt.
The venue grew hushed for a deeply poignant homage prior to the bout as a bell ceremony tolled in honor of Manchester's own Hatton, who passed away aged 46 in September.
It was the premier televised fight night in the location since Hatton's death. As the concluding sound ended, the silence gave way to a chant of "there's only one Hatton".
The fighting inside the ropes matched the sentiment. Arthur was knocked down by a left hook flush on the jaw in the initial stage, getting up unsteadily to his feet on the referee's count.
But the red-colored equipment of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, the opponent - in competitive blue - was marked up soon, significant bruising forming under his face as the fighters landed powerful shots.
The challenger, 27, connected with strong blows but Arthur, 34, responded in kind with stinging uppercuts as the action hardly diminished over the full distance.
Arthur narrowly won the decision with official scores of 114-114, narrow lead and clearer margin, but the two athletes were determined and courageous, exactly what their idol the legend embodied.
