UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet underwhelming beginning to his career under new promoters with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's punch output seemingly secured him a majority decision in a competitive ten-round bout at the boxing arena.
But the challenger found success, delivering effective clean blows in a fight where the techniques didn't complement each other, with excessive holding spoiling the fight.
Two judges had it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the third a 95-95.
"It wasn't my greatest showing but how do champions respond? They succeed," the victor stated in the arena as he was met by boos from the audience.
The British fighter bounced back after his maiden career setback - an epic battle with his previous opponent in February - to earn a 20th pro success.
Several boxing experts felt Parker, thirty-one, deserved the decision but the contender experienced the second setback of his 28-match career.
Buatsi Claims Victory in Uneventful Match
His career development has plateaued in recent years through management issues and considerable time of inactivity.
Earlier forecast as the future of UK boxing, he now stands trying to realize his potential - possibly in what seems like a last chance - under new promotional backing.
He began cautiously, with the two boxers ready to overcommit in a calculated early stages.
Parker, whose sole prior loss came at super middleweight against John Ryder in two years ago after damaging his hand in the contest, was competing in only his second bout at light-heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, the underdog had made it competitive, creating difficulties for Buatsi, who worked behind a tight guard to edge the cleaner rounds.
The crowd's patience decreased because of constant clinching, with Parker falling to the floor several times during close exchanges.
Parker closed well, but several stanzas were challenging to assess. Although, ex-champion Carl Frampton - working with Dazn - had it significantly in favor for the challenger, scoring for Buatsi just only one stanza.
Buatsi advances, but with the caliber of hard hitter David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Bivol ruling the division, the journey to titles - based on this performance - still seems difficult.
Ricky Hatton Homage Motivates Manchester Derby Battle
In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur defeated Rea by close verdict in a outstanding local rivalry fight to capture the European light-heavyweight belt.
The arena fell silent for a profoundly moving memorial before the fight as ten bells sounded in remembrance of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who succumbed aged 46 in last month.
It was the premier televised boxing event in the urban center since the passing of Hatton. As the concluding sound faded, the stillness became a roar of "only one Ricky Hatton".
The fighting within the ring reflected the sentiment. Arthur was floored by a left hook flush on the face in the early round, getting up unsteadily to his feet on the referee's count.
But the red-colored attire of the fighter soon advanced again. Across the ring, Rea - in competitive blue - was damaged early, heavy swelling developing under his orbital area as the fighters exchanged powerful shots.
The challenger, twenty-seven, landed power punches but Arthur, thirty-four, fought fire with fire with stinging uppercuts as the pace rarely dropped over 12 rounds.
Arthur edged the verdict with judges scorecards of 114-114, 115-113 and 115-112, but both fighters were persistent and full of heart, exactly what their hero Hatton embodied.
