UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet underwhelming start to his career under recent management with a decision win over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's work rate likely gained him a majority decision in a competitive 10-round contest at the boxing arena.
But the challenger had his moments, delivering effective clean blows in a fight where the techniques didn't complement each other, with frequent clinching marring the action.
The officials judged it 96-94 for to the winner, with the third a even score.
"It wasn't my best performance but how do champions respond? They win," the victor commented in the ring as he was faced negative reactions from the audience.
The Londoner bounced back after his initial pro loss - an thrilling contest with Callum Smith in last winter - to secure a 20th pro success.
Various analysts thought Parker, 31, merited the decision but the contender experienced the second defeat of his 28-bout professional journey.
The Champion Claims Win in Slow Match
His career development has plateaued in recent years through promotional disputes and considerable time of lack of fights.
Previously predicted as the rising talent of British boxing, he now finds himself trying to achieve expectations - perhaps in what appears to be a final roll of the dice - under recent support.
He started carefully, with the two boxers ready to overcommit in a tentative early stages.
The challenger, whose single earlier setback came at super-middleweight against his former opponent in two years ago after damaging his hand mid-fight, was making just his second bout at light-heavyweight.
By the fight's midpoint, Parker had kept it close, creating difficulties for the favorite, who operated with a solid defense to edge the more effective periods.
The crowd's patience diminished because of frequent holding, with Parker slipping to the canvas various instances during grappling.
Parker closed well, but many rounds were hard to judge. Nevertheless, ex-champion the boxing analyst - working with Dazn - had it strongly leaning for Parker, awarding Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi moves on, but with the caliber of heavy hitter David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol ruling the division, the road to world glory - based on this performance - still seems difficult.
Hatton Memorial Inspires Local Rivalry Battle
In the secondary fight, Arthur beat Rea by divided decision in a outstanding all-Manchester fight to secure the European light heavyweight belt.
The venue grew hushed for a extremely emotional homage prior to the bout as ten bells tolled in remembrance of the city's native Ricky Hatton, who died 46 years old in last month.
It was the first major televised fight night in the urban center since Hatton's passing. As the last bell faded, the silence gave way to a shout of "there's only one Ricky Hatton".
The fighting inside the ropes equaled the sentiment. The eventual winner was floored by a left hook flush on the jaw in the second round, standing uncertainly to his position on the referee's count.
But the traditional red attire of the fighter soon came forward again. Across the ring, Rea - in competitive blue - was damaged soon, heavy swelling appearing under his face as the duo exchanged powerful shots.
Rea, 27, landed power punches but Arthur, 34, fought fire with fire with stinging uppercuts as the intensity rarely dropped over twelve rounds.
The victor narrowly won the result with judges scorecards of 114-114, narrow lead and 115-112, but each competitor were relentless and brave, all the qualities their idol Hatton stood for.
