UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet disappointing start to his career under new promoters with a decision win over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic bronze medallist's work rate appeared to earn him a majority decision in a close 10-round contest at the Manchester venue.
But Parker found success, connecting with powerful individual punches in a fight where the approaches never quite clicked, with frequent clinching marring the contest.
The officials judged it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the final judge a 95-95.
"It wasn't my best showing but what defines champions? They prevail," the victor said in the ringside as he was faced disapproval from the crowd.
The British fighter got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an memorable fight with his previous opponent in last winter - to secure a twentieth professional win.
Several boxing experts thought the challenger, thirty-one, should have been awarded the win but the Derbyshire fighter endured the second defeat of his 28-fight professional journey.
The Champion Claims Win in Uneventful Affair
Buatsi's progress has plateaued in recent times through contract problems and extended periods of inactivity.
Earlier forecast as the next star of the British fight scene, he now stands trying to achieve expectations - perhaps in what feels like a final roll of the dice - under fresh management.
He started carefully, with both competitors ready to be aggressive in a tentative early stages.
The challenger, whose sole prior loss came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in 2022 after suffering a hand injury during the bout, was making just his second appearance at light-heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, Parker had stayed in contention, causing problems for Buatsi, who worked behind a protective stance to narrowly win the more effective periods.
The crowd's patience decreased amid constant clinching, with Parker falling to the floor various instances during clinches.
The underdog closed well, but multiple periods were hard to judge. Nevertheless, previous titleholder Carl Frampton - commentating on Dazn - had it strongly leaning for the challenger, awarding Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi progresses, but with the caliber of heavy hitter David Benavidez, and Russian star Bivol ruling the division, the path to championship success - based on this performance - still appears challenging.
Hatton Homage Motivates Local Rivalry Fight
In the supporting bout, Arthur beat Rea by split-decision in a excellent all-Manchester fight to win the European light heavyweight title.
The venue became quiet for a extremely emotional tribute before the fight as ten bells rang in remembrance of local hero Ricky Hatton, who succumbed aged 46 in recently.
It was the premier televised boxing event in the urban center since Hatton's death. As the concluding sound faded, the silence became a chant of "only one Hatton".
The competition during the bout equaled the sentiment. Arthur was floored by a powerful punch squarely on the face in the early round, standing uncertainly to his position on the eight count.
But the red-colored shorts of Arthur soon advanced again. Across the ring, the opponent - in opposing blue - was marked up quickly, heavy swelling forming under his eye as the pair exchanged punishing blows.
Rea, twenty-seven, landed power punches but the champion, 34, fought fire with fire with powerful upward punches as the intensity seldom decreased over twelve rounds.
Arthur edged the decision with judges scorecards of 114-114, narrow lead and wider gap, but both fighters were persistent and full of heart, exactly what their inspiration Hatton represented.
