UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet underwhelming beginning to his career under recent management with a decision win over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's punch output appeared to earn him a majority decision in a close 10-round contest at the Co-op Live Arena.
But the challenger found success, connecting with powerful clean blows in a contest where the techniques never quite clicked, with frequent clinching spoiling the action.
The officials had it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the remaining official a even score.
"It wasn't my best showing but what do champions do? They win," Buatsi said in the ringside as he was faced negative reactions from the spectators.
The Londoner bounced back after his first professional defeat - an thrilling contest with Callum Smith in last winter - to earn a 20th pro success.
Various analysts believed the challenger, 31, merited the victory but the Derbyshire fighter experienced the second defeat of his 28-match career.
The Champion Claims Victory in Dull Encounter
Buatsi's progress has slowed in recent years through management issues and considerable time of inactivity.
Earlier forecast as the future of British boxing, he now finds himself trying to achieve expectations - maybe in what appears to be a final roll of the dice - under new promotional backing.
He started carefully, with both competitors prepared to overcommit in a cagey initial rounds.
Parker, whose sole prior loss came at the lower weight class 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 middle rounds, the underdog had kept it close, causing problems for Buatsi, who worked behind a solid defense to edge the better rounds.
The audience's tolerance decreased amid regular grabbing, with the challenger going down several times during grappling.
Parker finished the stronger, but several stanzas were challenging to assess. Nevertheless, former world champion Carl Frampton - providing analysis for the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for Parker, giving Buatsi just a single round.
Buatsi advances, but with the caliber of heavy hitter David Benavidez, and Russian star Bivol leading the category, the path to championship success - based on this performance - still looks steep.
Ricky Hatton Homage Fuels All-Manchester Battle
In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur beat Bradley Rea by split-decision in a excellent local rivalry battle to secure the European light heavyweight title.
The arena became quiet for a profoundly moving memorial prior to the bout as a bell ceremony rang in remembrance of the city's native Hatton, who succumbed aged 46 in September.
It was the first major televised match card in the city since Hatton's death. As the last bell disappeared, the stillness transitioned to a shout of "only one Ricky Hatton".
The fighting during the bout equaled the feeling. Arthur was knocked down by a powerful punch flush on the jaw in the initial stage, rising shakily to his footing on the count of eight.
But the Manchester United-red attire of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. From the other corner, the opponent - in competitive blue - was damaged quickly, heavy swelling appearing under his face as the duo landed powerful shots.
Rea, twenty-seven, landed power punches but the champion, 34, responded in kind with stinging uppercuts as the pace seldom decreased over twelve rounds.
Arthur edged the result with judges scorecards of 114-114, close margin and 115-112, but each competitor were relentless and brave, everything their inspiration Hatton represented.
