UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet underwhelming debut to life under fresh promotional backing with a points victory over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic bronze medallist's work rate appeared to earn him a majority decision in a competitive ten-round contest at the boxing arena.
But Parker landed significant shots, delivering effective single shots in a fight where the approaches never quite clicked, with frequent clinching marring the contest.
Two judges had it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the final judge a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my greatest showing but what defines champions? They win," the victor said in the ringside as he was greeted with disapproval from the audience.
The British fighter bounced back after his first professional defeat - an thrilling contest with Callum Smith in February - to earn a 20th career victory.
Some ringside observers felt the challenger, 31, should have been awarded the win but the contender suffered the second defeat of his 28-bout professional journey.
Buatsi Secures Triumph in Dull Affair
The fighter's advancement has stalled in recent years through management issues and long spells of lack of fights.
Previously predicted as the future of the British fight scene, he now finds himself trying to fulfil that early promise - possibly in what feels like a final roll of the dice - under recent support.
He opened tentatively, with neither fighter prepared to take risks in a cagey initial rounds.
Parker, whose sole prior loss came at super-middleweight against his former opponent in two years ago after breaking his hand during the bout, was making just his second bout at light heavyweight.
By the middle rounds, the underdog had kept it close, making life awkward for the favorite, who utilized a tight guard to barely take the more effective stanzas.
The spectators' acceptance decreased amid constant clinching, with the challenger going down multiple occasions during clinches.
The underdog finished the stronger, but several stanzas were challenging to assess. Although, former world champion the boxing analyst - working with Dazn - had it significantly in favor for Parker, awarding Buatsi just only one stanza.
The victor advances, but with the likes of power puncher David Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the path to championship success - based on this performance - still seems difficult.
Hatton Homage Inspires Manchester Derby Battle
In the co-main event, Arthur beat Bradley Rea by close verdict in a outstanding Manchester vs Manchester fight to win the continental title.
The venue became quiet for a profoundly moving memorial before the fight as ten bells tolled in honor of local hero Ricky Hatton, who passed away at age 46 in last month.
It was the premier televised match card in the city since the passing of Hatton. As the concluding sound faded, the stillness transitioned to a chant of "there's just one Hatton".
The fighting inside the ropes reflected the sentiment. The eventual winner was sent to the canvas by a significant blow flush on the jaw in the initial stage, standing uncertainly to his position on the eight count.
But the red-colored attire of the fighter soon came forward again. On the opposite side, the opponent - in rival City blue - was marked up quickly, noticeable damage appearing under his face as the pair landed powerful shots.
Rea, 27, landed power punches but Arthur, 34, fought fire with fire with powerful upward punches as the pace hardly diminished over the full distance.
Arthur edged the result with scoring tallies of 114-114, 115-113 and clearer margin, but each competitor were relentless and courageous, exactly what their hero Hatton represented.
