British light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet disappointing beginning to his career under fresh promotional backing with a decision win over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic bronze medallist's punch output likely gained him a split decision in a close ten-round contest at the boxing arena.
But Parker found success, connecting with powerful single shots in a match where the styles didn't complement each other, with excessive holding disrupting the fight.
The officials scored it 96-94 to the winner, with the third a even score.
"It wasn't my finest showing but what defines champions? They prevail," Buatsi said in the ringside as he was greeted with negative reactions from the spectators.
The British fighter got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an epic battle with Callum Smith in last winter - to earn a 20th pro success.
Several boxing experts thought the challenger, 31, deserved the win but the British boxer suffered the second defeat of his 28-bout career.
The Champion Secures Win in Slow Affair
The fighter's advancement has plateaued in recent years through management issues and considerable time of inactivity.
Earlier forecast as the rising talent of British boxing, he now finds himself trying to achieve expectations - maybe in what seems like a last chance - under recent support.
He opened tentatively, with neither fighter ready to be aggressive in a cagey opening few rounds.
The challenger, 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 fight at the higher weight class.
By the middle rounds, Parker had kept it close, making life awkward for the favorite, who operated with a protective stance to edge the cleaner periods.
The spectators' acceptance decreased amid constant clinching, with Parker going down multiple occasions during grappling.
Parker ended stronger, but multiple periods were challenging to assess. Although, ex-champion Carl Frampton - providing analysis for Dazn - had it strongly leaning for the challenger, awarding Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi advances, but with the presence of hard hitter David Benavidez, and Russian star Bivol leading the category, the road to world glory - judging by this showing - still looks steep.
Hatton Memorial Motivates All-Manchester Battle
In the secondary fight, Arthur beat Bradley Rea by divided decision in a outstanding all-Manchester fight to capture the European light heavyweight title.
The arena grew hushed for a extremely emotional homage before the fight as ten bells sounded in remembrance of the city's native Ricky Hatton, who passed away 46 years old in last month.
It was the initial significant broadcast fight night in the city since Hatton's passing. As the last bell faded, the silence became a chant of "there's just one Hatton".
The competition inside the ropes matched the emotion. The eventual winner was knocked down by a significant blow flush on the jaw in the early round, standing uncertainly to his position on the count of eight.
But the traditional red attire of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, the opponent - in competitive blue - was injured soon, heavy swelling forming under his eye as the pair traded hard punches.
The challenger, twenty-seven, connected with strong blows but the champion, thirty-four, fought fire with fire with stinging uppercuts as the pace rarely dropped over 12 rounds.
Arthur narrowly won the result with official scores of 114-114, 115-113 and 115-112, but both fighters were relentless and full of heart, all the qualities their inspiration Hatton embodied.
