British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet disappointing start to life under fresh promotional backing with a decision win over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic bronze medallist's work rate likely gained him a majority decision in a competitive 10-round contest at the boxing arena.
But Parker found success, connecting with powerful individual punches in a fight where the approaches failed to mesh, with constant grabbing disrupting the contest.
The officials scored it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the remaining official a even score.
"It wasn't my best display but what do champions do? They win," the victor said in the arena as he was faced boos from the spectators.
The Londoner bounced back after his first professional defeat - an memorable fight with his previous opponent in last winter - to claim a 20th career victory.
Some ringside observers thought the challenger, 31, deserved the decision but the contender experienced the second defeat of his 28-bout career.
The Champion Earns Win in Uneventful Affair
His career development has stalled in recent years through promotional disputes and long spells of inactivity.
Once tipped as the rising talent of UK boxing, he now finds himself trying to fulfil that early promise - perhaps in what feels like a last chance - under recent support.
He opened tentatively, with both competitors willing to overcommit in a calculated 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 mid-fight, was participating in his second appearance at light-heavyweight.
By the middle rounds, Parker had stayed in contention, making life awkward for the favorite, who utilized a tight guard to edge the cleaner stanzas.
The crowd's patience diminished because of regular grabbing, with the challenger slipping to the canvas multiple occasions during grappling.
Parker closed well, but several stanzas were hard to judge. Nevertheless, ex-champion the boxing analyst - working with Dazn - had it strongly leaning for Parker, giving Buatsi just only one stanza.
The victor moves on, but with the caliber of power puncher David Benavidez, and Russian star Bivol dominating the weight class, the journey to titles - on this evidence - still seems difficult.
Hatton Memorial Fuels Manchester Derby Battle
In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur beat Rea by divided decision in a outstanding local rivalry fight to win the European light-heavyweight belt.
The arena fell silent for a profoundly moving tribute ahead of the contest as a bell ceremony rang in remembrance of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who succumbed aged 46 in last month.
It was the premier televised fight night in the urban center since Hatton's passing. As the last bell disappeared, the stillness became a chant of "there's only one Ricky Hatton".
The action within the ring reflected the sentiment. Arthur was knocked down by a left hook squarely on the face in the second round, getting up unsteadily to his footing on the eight count.
But the red-colored shorts of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. From the other corner, the opponent - in competitive blue - was marked up soon, significant bruising developing under his face as the pair exchanged punishing blows.
The challenger, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but the champion, thirty-four, matched the intensity with effective uppercuts as the action rarely dropped over the full distance.
The victor narrowly won the verdict with official scores of even score, narrow lead and wider gap, but both fighters were persistent and brave, everything their hero Hatton represented.
