UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet unimpressive start to life under new promoters with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's work rate seemingly secured him a judges' verdict in a tight ten-round fight at the boxing arena.
But Parker had his moments, delivering effective individual punches in a match where the styles never quite clicked, with constant grabbing disrupting the fight.
The scoring judges judged it 96-94 to the winner, with the remaining official a even score.
"It wasn't my finest display but what defines champions? They prevail," the victor stated in the arena as he was met by disapproval from the crowd.
The Londoner bounced back after his maiden career setback - an epic battle with Callum Smith in last winter - to earn a twentieth professional win.
Several boxing experts believed Parker, thirty-one, should have been awarded the victory but the Derbyshire fighter suffered the second defeat of his 28-bout professional journey.
Buatsi Earns Win in Dull Encounter
Buatsi's progress has plateaued in recent years through promotional disputes and long spells of lack of fights.
Once tipped as the future of British boxing, he now finds himself trying to fulfil that early promise - maybe in what appears to be a last chance - under recent support.
He began cautiously, with both competitors willing to be aggressive in a tentative initial rounds.
Parker, whose only previous defeat came at the lower weight class against John Ryder in two years ago after suffering a hand injury in the contest, was competing in only his second bout at the higher weight class.
By the fight's midpoint, Parker had made it competitive, causing problems for Buatsi, who worked behind a protective stance to edge the cleaner stanzas.
The audience's tolerance diminished because of frequent holding, with the challenger slipping to the canvas multiple occasions during clinches.
The underdog ended stronger, but multiple periods were difficult to score. Nevertheless, ex-champion the boxing analyst - working with the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for the challenger, scoring for Buatsi just a single round.
Buatsi progresses, but with the caliber of hard hitter David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the path to championship success - judging by this showing - still seems difficult.
Ricky Hatton Memorial Motivates Manchester Derby Fight
In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur defeated Rea by divided decision in a excellent local rivalry fight to win the European light heavyweight championship.
The arena grew hushed for a deeply poignant homage before the fight as 10 bells tolled in honor of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who succumbed at age 46 in September.
It was the initial significant broadcast boxing event in the city since Hatton's passing. As the final chime faded, the quiet became a chant of "only one Ricky Hatton".
The fighting during the bout matched the sentiment. Arthur was floored by a left hook squarely on the jaw in the second round, rising shakily to his position on the referee's count.
But the traditional red shorts of the fighter soon advanced again. On the opposite side, Rea - in opposing blue - was damaged quickly, significant bruising appearing under his eye as the duo landed hard punches.
The challenger, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but the champion, 34, responded in kind with powerful upward punches as the intensity hardly diminished over the full distance.
The victor barely secured the decision with judges scorecards of draw, close margin and 115-112, but the two athletes were relentless and courageous, all the qualities their hero Hatton stood for.
