UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet disappointing beginning to life under new promoters with a points victory over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic bronze medallist's work rate seemingly secured him a judges' verdict in a tight ten-round bout at the Manchester venue.
But the challenger landed significant shots, delivering effective individual punches in a fight where the styles never quite clicked, with frequent clinching disrupting the contest.
Two judges had it 96-94 for to the winner, with the final judge a 95-95.
"It wasn't my finest display but how do champions respond? They win," the victor said in the arena as he was faced boos from the audience.
The British fighter returned to winning ways after his maiden career setback - an memorable fight with his previous opponent in February - to claim a twentieth professional win.
Several boxing experts felt Parker, thirty-one, merited the decision but the British boxer endured the second loss of his 28-match professional journey.
Buatsi Secures Triumph in Uneventful Match
Buatsi's progress has slowed in recent times through management issues and extended periods of lack of fights.
Once tipped as the future of British boxing, he now stands trying to realize his potential - perhaps in what appears to be a final roll of the dice - under recent support.
He started carefully, with neither fighter prepared to overcommit in a cagey initial rounds.
Parker, whose single earlier setback came at super middleweight against his former opponent in two years ago after suffering a hand injury during the bout, was competing in only his second appearance at the higher weight class.
By the fight's midpoint, the underdog had kept it close, creating difficulties for Buatsi, who worked behind a protective stance to barely take the better stanzas.
The crowd's patience wore thin amid regular grabbing, with the challenger slipping to the canvas various instances during grappling.
The underdog closed well, but several stanzas were hard to judge. Nevertheless, previous titleholder Carl Frampton - providing analysis for Dazn - had it particularly wide for Parker, awarding Buatsi just a single round.
The victor advances, but with the caliber of hard hitter David Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the road to world glory - judging by this showing - still looks steep.
Hatton Memorial Inspires Manchester Derby Battle
In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by split-decision in a excellent local rivalry contest to secure the European light-heavyweight title.
The venue became quiet for a deeply poignant tribute before the fight as ten bells tolled in honor of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who passed away at age 46 in September.
It was the premier televised fight night in the city since the passing of Hatton. As the last bell ended, the silence became a roar of "only one Ricky Hatton".
The competition inside the ropes equaled the emotion. The eventual winner was knocked down by a left hook flush on the jaw in the early round, standing uncertainly to his position on the referee's count.
But the Manchester United-red attire of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. On the opposite side, the opponent - in opposing blue - was injured quickly, heavy swelling developing under his face as the duo traded hard punches.
The challenger, 27, delivered effective strikes but the champion, 34, fought fire with fire with stinging uppercuts as the intensity seldom decreased over twelve rounds.
The victor edged the decision with scoring tallies of even score, 115-113 and 115-112, but the two athletes were relentless and brave, exactly what their idol Hatton represented.
