British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet disappointing debut to his career under new promoters with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's work rate seemingly secured him a judges' verdict in a tight 10-round contest at the Co-op Live Arena.
But Parker found success, landing some telling individual punches in a match where the styles never quite clicked, with constant grabbing marring the action.
The officials judged it 96-94 for to Buatsi, with the third a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my greatest display but what do champions do? They win," Buatsi said in the ringside as he was faced boos from the spectators.
The Londoner bounced back after his first professional defeat - an epic battle with Callum Smith in last winter - to claim a 20th pro success.
Various analysts thought Parker, thirty-one, merited the victory but the contender endured the second setback of his 28-fight professional journey.
The Champion Claims Triumph in Dull Affair
Buatsi's progress has slowed in recent times through management issues and long spells of lack of fights.
Once tipped as the next star of the British fight scene, he now is positioned trying to realize his potential - perhaps in what feels like a final roll of the dice - under recent support.
He started carefully, with both competitors prepared to take risks in a calculated early stages.
Parker, whose only previous defeat came at the lower weight class against his former opponent in two years ago after suffering a hand injury during the bout, was participating in his second fight at light-heavyweight.
By the fight's midpoint, the underdog had kept it close, creating difficulties for Buatsi, who operated with a protective stance to edge the better periods.
The crowd's patience wore thin because of constant clinching, with Parker slipping to the canvas multiple occasions during clinches.
Parker ended stronger, but many rounds were challenging to assess. However, ex-champion the boxing analyst - providing analysis for Dazn - had it significantly in favor for the challenger, scoring for Buatsi just a single round.
The victor advances, but with the caliber of heavy hitter David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Bivol dominating the weight class, the journey to titles - based on this performance - still seems difficult.
Hatton Memorial Motivates Manchester Derby Battle
In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur overcame Bradley Rea by split-decision in a outstanding Manchester vs Manchester fight to secure the European light-heavyweight championship.
The venue fell silent for a profoundly moving memorial before the fight as ten bells sounded in remembrance of local hero Hatton, who succumbed aged 46 in September.
It was the initial significant broadcast fight night in the city since the passing of Hatton. As the final chime disappeared, the silence became a roar of "there's only one Hatton".
The action during the bout reflected the emotion. Arthur was sent to the canvas by a significant blow directly to the jaw in the initial stage, standing uncertainly to his feet on the referee's count.
But the red-colored attire of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, the opponent - in opposing blue - was damaged soon, heavy swelling forming under his face as the duo landed hard punches.
Rea, 27, landed power punches but Arthur, 34, responded in kind with effective uppercuts as the action hardly diminished over the full distance.
Arthur edged the verdict with judges scorecards of 114-114, close margin and 115-112, but each competitor were persistent and full of heart, exactly what their idol Hatton represented.
