UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet underwhelming debut to life under fresh promotional backing with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic bronze medallist's punch output appeared to earn him a judges' verdict in a tight 10-round bout at the Co-op Live Arena.
But Parker found success, delivering effective single shots in a match where the approaches didn't complement each other, with frequent clinching disrupting the contest.
The scoring judges had it 96-94 in favor to Buatsi, with the third a even score.
"It wasn't my finest showing but how do champions respond? They succeed," Buatsi said in the ring as he was greeted with negative reactions from the spectators.
The British fighter bounced back after his first professional defeat - an memorable fight with his previous opponent in last winter - to secure a 20th career victory.
Various analysts believed Parker, thirty-one, deserved the victory but the contender experienced the second loss of his 28-fight professional journey.
Buatsi Claims Win in Uneventful Affair
The fighter's advancement has stalled in recent times through promotional disputes and long spells of lack of fights.
Once tipped as the next star of UK boxing, he now stands trying to fulfil that early promise - perhaps in what feels like a final roll of the dice - under fresh management.
He began cautiously, with the two boxers willing to take risks in a cagey initial rounds.
Parker, whose sole prior loss 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, Parker had kept it close, creating difficulties for the favorite, who operated with a solid defense to narrowly win the better stanzas.
The spectators' acceptance wore thin during frequent holding, with the challenger slipping to the canvas multiple occasions during clinches.
Parker closed well, but several stanzas were challenging to assess. Nevertheless, previous titleholder Carl Frampton - providing analysis for the broadcast network - had it strongly leaning for the challenger, giving Buatsi just only one stanza.
Buatsi progresses, but with the caliber of heavy hitter David Benavidez, and Russian star Bivol dominating the weight class, the road to world glory - on this evidence - still looks steep.
Ricky Hatton Homage Inspires Manchester Derby Battle
In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur overcame Rea by split-decision in a outstanding Manchester vs Manchester contest to capture the European light heavyweight belt.
The stadium grew hushed for a deeply poignant memorial ahead of the contest as ten bells rang in memory of the city's native Hatton, who succumbed aged 46 in recently.
It was the first major televised match card in the location since Hatton's passing. As the last bell faded, the quiet gave way to a roar of "only one Ricky Hatton".
The fighting inside the ropes matched the emotion. The eventual winner was sent to the canvas by a significant blow squarely on the face in the second round, rising shakily to his footing on the eight count.
But the Manchester United-red shorts of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, the opponent - in opposing blue - was damaged soon, significant bruising developing under his face as the fighters traded punishing blows.
Rea, twenty-seven, landed power punches but the champion, 34, responded in kind with powerful upward punches as the action seldom decreased over 12 rounds.
Arthur narrowly won the verdict with scoring tallies of 114-114, close margin and clearer margin, but both fighters were relentless and courageous, everything their inspiration the legend embodied.
