British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet disappointing start to his career under recent management with a decision win over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's work rate appeared to earn him a majority decision in a competitive 10-round fight at the Manchester venue.
But the challenger found success, connecting with powerful clean blows in a match where the styles never quite clicked, with constant grabbing spoiling the contest.
The officials scored it 96-94 in favor to Buatsi, with the final judge a even score.
"It wasn't my greatest showing but what defines champions? They prevail," the victor stated in the arena as he was greeted with boos from the spectators.
The Londoner got back to winning after his maiden career setback - an memorable fight with his previous opponent in last winter - to secure a 20th pro success.
Various analysts felt Parker, 31, deserved the win but the British boxer experienced the second setback of his 28-fight professional journey.
The Champion Claims Triumph in Dull Affair
His career development has stalled in recent years through promotional disputes and extended periods of lack of fights.
Earlier forecast as the rising talent of UK boxing, he now finds himself trying to realize his potential - maybe in what feels like a last chance - under recent support.
He started carefully, with both competitors willing to overcommit in a calculated initial rounds.
Parker, 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 appearance at light heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, Parker had kept it close, causing problems for Buatsi, who operated with a solid defense to edge the cleaner periods.
The audience's tolerance wore thin amid regular grabbing, with Parker going down several times during close exchanges.
Parker closed well, but many rounds were challenging to assess. Nevertheless, former world champion the boxing analyst - working with Dazn - had it significantly in favor for the challenger, giving Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi advances, but with the likes of power puncher David Benavidez, and Russian champion Bivol dominating the weight class, the path to championship success - on this evidence - still looks steep.
Ricky Hatton Homage Fuels Manchester Derby Fight
In the secondary fight, Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by close verdict in a excellent Manchester vs Manchester fight to capture the European light-heavyweight championship.
The arena grew hushed for a profoundly moving homage prior to the bout as 10 bells tolled in memory of local hero Ricky Hatton, who died aged 46 in last month.
It was the first major televised fight night in the location since Hatton's death. As the last bell faded, the quiet became a roar of "only one Hatton".
The competition during the bout equaled the feeling. Arthur was floored by a powerful punch flush on the jaw in the initial stage, getting up unsteadily to his footing on the count of eight.
But the traditional red shorts of Arthur soon came forward again. Across the ring, the opponent - in competitive blue - was marked up soon, significant bruising developing under his face as the duo landed hard punches.
Rea, 27, delivered effective strikes but the champion, 34, matched the intensity with powerful upward punches as the action hardly diminished over the full distance.
Arthur barely secured the result with official scores of even score, narrow lead and 115-112, but each competitor were relentless and brave, everything their idol the legend embodied.
