British light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet underwhelming beginning to life under recent management with a decision win over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic bronze medallist's activity level appeared to earn him a judges' verdict in a close 10-round contest at the Co-op Live Arena.
But the challenger found success, delivering effective individual punches in a fight where the approaches failed to mesh, with excessive holding disrupting the action.
The officials judged it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the remaining official a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my finest display but what do champions do? They win," Buatsi said in the arena as he was greeted with disapproval from the crowd.
The Londoner got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in last winter - to claim a twentieth professional win.
Various analysts believed Parker, 31, deserved the victory but the Derbyshire fighter experienced the second loss of his 28-match professional journey.
The Champion Secures Victory in Uneventful Affair
Buatsi's progress has slowed in recent years through management issues and extended periods of lack of fights.
Earlier forecast as the rising talent of the British fight scene, he now stands trying to realize his potential - perhaps in what seems like a final roll of the dice - under new promotional backing.
He opened tentatively, with both competitors ready to be aggressive in a tentative initial rounds.
Parker, whose single earlier setback came at super-middleweight against his former opponent in two years ago after damaging his hand in the contest, was making just his second bout at light heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, Parker had kept it close, making life awkward for Buatsi, who operated with a protective stance to narrowly win the cleaner periods.
The audience's tolerance wore thin during regular grabbing, with Parker slipping to the canvas multiple occasions during grappling.
Parker closed well, but several stanzas were challenging to assess. Although, ex-champion the boxing analyst - commentating on Dazn - had it strongly leaning for the challenger, awarding Buatsi just only one stanza.
Buatsi advances, but with the caliber of hard hitter Benavidez, and Russian champion Bivol dominating the weight class, the journey to titles - on this evidence - still appears challenging.
Ricky Hatton Tribute Motivates Local Rivalry Contest
In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur overcame Bradley Rea by close verdict in a excellent all-Manchester fight to capture the European light heavyweight championship.
The venue grew hushed for a deeply poignant homage before the fight as a bell ceremony sounded in remembrance of local hero Hatton, who passed away 46 years old in September.
It was the premier televised boxing event in the urban center since the passing of Hatton. As the last bell ended, the stillness gave way to a roar of "there's just one Ricky Hatton".
The action inside the ropes reflected the sentiment. The eventual winner was knocked down by a powerful punch directly to the chin in the initial stage, getting up unsteadily to his footing on the eight count.
But the Manchester United-red shorts of the fighter soon advanced again. On the opposite side, Rea - in opposing blue - was injured quickly, noticeable damage appearing under his eye as the fighters exchanged powerful shots.
The challenger, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but the champion, 34, responded in kind with effective uppercuts as the intensity seldom decreased over twelve rounds.
Arthur narrowly won the decision with scoring tallies of even score, narrow lead and wider gap, but each competitor were determined and full of heart, exactly what their hero Hatton stood for.
