UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet disappointing start to life under fresh promotional backing with a decision win over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's activity level appeared to earn him a split decision in a competitive 10-round contest at the Manchester venue.
But Parker found success, connecting with powerful clean blows in a contest where the approaches never quite clicked, with frequent clinching marring the fight.
The scoring judges judged it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the final judge a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my finest showing but what do champions do? They win," Buatsi stated in the arena as he was met by disapproval from the audience.
The Londoner returned to winning ways after his first professional defeat - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in last winter - to claim a 20th pro success.
Various analysts thought the challenger, 31, deserved the decision but the contender suffered the second setback of his 28-match professional journey.
Buatsi Secures Victory in Dull Match
Buatsi's progress has stalled in the past few years through management issues and extended periods of inactivity.
Once tipped as the future of British boxing, he now finds himself trying to fulfil that early promise - perhaps in what appears to be a ultimate opportunity - under recent support.
He opened tentatively, with neither fighter prepared to be aggressive in a tentative initial rounds.
The challenger, whose only previous defeat came at super-middleweight against his former opponent in two years ago after suffering a hand injury in the contest, was participating in his second bout at light heavyweight.
By the middle rounds, Parker had kept it close, causing problems for Buatsi, who operated with a protective stance to edge the more effective stanzas.
The crowd's patience diminished during constant clinching, with the challenger falling to the floor various instances during grappling.
The underdog closed well, but several stanzas were hard to judge. Although, ex-champion the boxing analyst - working with the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for Parker, scoring for Buatsi just only one stanza.
The victor advances, but with the presence of power puncher David Benavidez, and Russian champion Bivol leading the category, the journey to titles - on this evidence - still appears challenging.
Hatton Tribute Fuels Local Rivalry Fight
In the supporting bout, Arthur defeated Rea by close verdict in a terrific all-Manchester fight to secure the European light heavyweight championship.
The venue grew hushed for a profoundly moving memorial before the fight as 10 bells sounded in memory of the city's native Hatton, who succumbed 46 years old in last month.
It was the premier televised fight night in the urban center since Hatton's death. As the final chime ended, the silence transitioned to a chant of "there's just one Hatton".
The fighting during the bout equaled the sentiment. The eventual winner was sent to the canvas by a significant blow flush on the chin in the initial stage, getting up unsteadily to his footing on the eight count.
But the traditional red equipment of the fighter soon advanced again. From the other corner, Rea - in opposing blue - was damaged early, noticeable damage forming under his eye as the duo exchanged powerful shots.
The challenger, 27, landed power punches but the champion, thirty-four, fought fire with fire with powerful upward punches as the intensity rarely dropped over twelve rounds.
Arthur narrowly won the decision with scoring tallies of 114-114, close margin and wider gap, but both fighters were persistent and courageous, exactly what their idol Hatton represented.
