British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet unimpressive beginning to life under fresh promotional backing with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's work rate appeared to earn him a judges' verdict in a tight 10-round fight at the Co-op Live Arena.
But Parker found success, connecting with powerful single shots in a match where the techniques failed to mesh, with excessive holding marring the action.
The scoring judges had it 96-94 for to Buatsi, with the third a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my greatest display but how do champions respond? They succeed," the victor stated in the arena as he was met by disapproval from the spectators.
The Londoner got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an epic battle with his previous opponent in February - to secure a twentieth professional win.
Various analysts thought Parker, thirty-one, merited the victory but the contender experienced the second defeat of his 28-fight career.
The Champion Claims Victory in Slow Match
The fighter's advancement has stalled in recent times through management issues and long spells of inactivity.
Previously predicted as the next star of UK boxing, he now finds himself trying to realize his potential - possibly in what appears to be a last chance - under recent support.
He opened tentatively, with neither fighter willing to take risks in a cagey early stages.
Parker, whose only previous defeat came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in two years ago after breaking his hand mid-fight, was making just his second bout at the higher weight class.
By the middle rounds, the underdog had made it competitive, causing problems for the favorite, who operated with a tight guard to barely take the cleaner periods.
The spectators' acceptance decreased amid constant clinching, with Parker slipping to the canvas various instances during grappling.
The underdog ended stronger, but several stanzas were hard to judge. Nevertheless, former world champion the boxing analyst - providing analysis for the broadcast network - had it strongly leaning for the challenger, scoring for Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi advances, but with the likes of heavy hitter David Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the journey to titles - on this evidence - still seems difficult.
Ricky Hatton Memorial Inspires Local Rivalry Battle
In the secondary fight, Arthur beat Rea by split-decision in a excellent all-Manchester fight to capture the European light heavyweight title.
The arena became quiet for a extremely emotional memorial ahead of the contest as ten bells sounded in remembrance of the city's native Hatton, who passed away 46 years old in last month.
It was the initial significant broadcast fight night in the location since Hatton's passing. As the concluding sound faded, the silence gave way to a shout of "there's only one Ricky Hatton".
The action during the bout matched the emotion. Arthur was sent to the canvas by a left hook flush on the chin in the early round, rising shakily to his position on the count of eight.
But the Manchester United-red equipment of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. From the other corner, Rea - in competitive blue - was damaged quickly, noticeable damage forming under his eye as the pair traded punishing blows.
Rea, 27, connected with strong blows but the champion, thirty-four, matched the intensity with stinging uppercuts as the intensity hardly diminished over 12 rounds.
The victor narrowly won the decision with official scores of draw, 115-113 and 115-112, but each competitor were relentless and brave, everything their hero the legend embodied.
