UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet unimpressive start to life under fresh promotional backing with a decision win over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's activity level appeared to earn him a majority decision in a close 10-round fight at the Co-op Live Arena.
But Parker had his moments, delivering effective clean blows in a fight where the approaches failed to mesh, with frequent clinching spoiling the contest.
Two judges scored it 96-94 for to Buatsi, with the third a even score.
"It wasn't my finest showing but how do champions respond? They win," the victor commented in the ring as he was greeted with disapproval from the spectators.
The British fighter bounced back after his initial pro loss - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in last winter - to secure a twentieth professional win.
Several boxing experts thought the challenger, thirty-one, merited the win but the contender endured the second defeat of his 28-fight career.
Buatsi Secures Win in Uneventful Encounter
His career development has slowed in recent times through promotional disputes and extended periods of inactivity.
Once tipped as the future of UK boxing, he now finds himself trying to realize his potential - possibly in what appears to be a final roll of the dice - under new promotional backing.
He began cautiously, with both competitors ready to overcommit in a tentative initial rounds.
The challenger, whose sole prior loss came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in two years ago after suffering a hand injury mid-fight, was making just his second appearance at light-heavyweight.
By the middle rounds, the underdog had kept it close, creating difficulties for the favorite, who operated with a tight guard to narrowly win the better stanzas.
The audience's tolerance decreased during regular grabbing, with Parker slipping to the canvas several times during close exchanges.
Parker finished the stronger, but several stanzas were hard to judge. Although, former world champion Carl Frampton - working with the broadcast network - had it significantly in favor for Parker, awarding Buatsi just a single round.
The victor progresses, but with the presence of power puncher David Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol ruling the division, the road to world glory - based on this performance - still seems difficult.
Hatton Tribute Motivates All-Manchester Contest
In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur beat Rea by split-decision in a outstanding Manchester vs Manchester contest to capture the continental belt.
The venue grew hushed for a extremely emotional memorial before the fight as ten bells rang in memory of local hero Hatton, who passed away at age 46 in last month.
It was the premier televised boxing event in the city since the passing of Hatton. As the final chime faded, the stillness transitioned to a shout of "only one Hatton".
The action within the ring equaled the feeling. Arthur was floored by a powerful punch squarely on the chin in the early round, standing uncertainly to his feet on the referee's count.
But the red-colored attire of the fighter soon came forward again. Across the ring, the opponent - in opposing blue - was injured soon, heavy swelling developing under his orbital area as the pair traded hard punches.
Rea, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but the champion, thirty-four, matched the intensity with powerful upward punches as the action hardly diminished over the full distance.
The victor narrowly won the decision with scoring tallies of 114-114, 115-113 and 115-112, but the two athletes were persistent and courageous, exactly what their idol the legend represented.
