British light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet underwhelming start to life under fresh promotional backing with a decision win over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's punch output appeared to earn him a split decision in a tight 10-round contest at the boxing arena.
But the challenger found success, delivering effective individual punches in a contest where the approaches didn't complement each other, with frequent clinching marring the action.
The officials had it 96-94 for to the winner, with the remaining official a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my greatest performance but how do champions respond? They win," the victor commented in the arena as he was met by disapproval from the spectators.
The British fighter got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an thrilling contest with Callum Smith in last winter - to claim a 20th pro success.
Some ringside observers believed Parker, thirty-one, should have been awarded the victory but the Derbyshire fighter suffered the second setback of his 28-fight professional journey.
Buatsi Claims Triumph in Dull Affair
His career development has slowed in recent years through promotional disputes and considerable time of lack of fights.
Earlier forecast as the rising talent of UK boxing, he now is positioned trying to fulfil that early promise - maybe in what appears to be a ultimate opportunity - under recent support.
He opened tentatively, with the two boxers prepared to take risks in a calculated initial rounds.
The challenger, whose sole prior loss came at the lower weight class against John Ryder in two years ago after breaking his hand mid-fight, was making just his second fight at light heavyweight.
By the fight's midpoint, the underdog had stayed in contention, making life awkward for the favorite, who utilized a solid defense to narrowly win the cleaner rounds.
The crowd's patience wore thin amid frequent holding, with the challenger going down multiple occasions during close exchanges.
Parker finished the stronger, but multiple periods were difficult to score. Nevertheless, ex-champion Carl Frampton - working with Dazn - had it particularly wide for Parker, giving Buatsi just one round.
The victor moves on, but with the presence of heavy hitter David Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the journey to titles - based on this performance - still looks steep.
Ricky Hatton Homage Fuels All-Manchester Contest
In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur defeated Rea by close verdict in a excellent all-Manchester contest to capture the European light heavyweight title.
The venue grew hushed for a extremely emotional homage before the fight as a bell ceremony rang in honor of the city's native Hatton, who died at age 46 in recently.
It was the premier televised fight night in the location since Hatton's death. As the last bell faded, the stillness became a chant of "only one Hatton".
The action inside the ropes reflected the sentiment. The eventual winner was sent to the canvas by a significant blow flush on the face in the early round, standing uncertainly to his position on the eight count.
But the traditional red attire of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. On the opposite side, Rea - in competitive blue - was injured early, heavy swelling appearing under his face as the duo traded punishing blows.
Rea, 27, connected with strong blows but Arthur, thirty-four, matched the intensity with effective uppercuts as the pace hardly diminished over the full distance.
The victor edged the verdict with official scores of 114-114, narrow lead and wider gap, but both fighters were determined and brave, all the qualities their idol the legend stood for.
