UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet underwhelming debut to life under fresh promotional backing with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's punch output likely gained him a judges' verdict in a tight ten-round contest at the boxing arena.
But Parker had his moments, landing some telling clean blows in a contest where the styles failed to mesh, with excessive holding spoiling the action.
Two judges had it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the third a even score.
"It wasn't my best showing but what defines champions? They win," Buatsi stated in the arena as he was faced boos from the spectators.
The British fighter returned to winning ways after his first professional defeat - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in last winter - to claim a twentieth professional win.
Some ringside observers believed Parker, 31, deserved the win but the contender endured the second setback of his 28-fight career.
Buatsi Earns Triumph in Uneventful Match
His career development has slowed in recent years through management issues and long spells of inactivity.
Earlier forecast as the future of UK boxing, he now finds himself trying to realize his potential - maybe in what feels like a final roll of the dice - under new promotional backing.
He opened tentatively, with the two boxers prepared to take risks in a tentative opening few rounds.
The challenger, whose sole prior loss came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in two years ago after breaking his hand during the bout, was participating in his second bout at the higher weight class.
By the fight's midpoint, the underdog had stayed in contention, causing problems for the favorite, who operated with a solid defense to narrowly win the better stanzas.
The audience's tolerance diminished amid regular grabbing, with the challenger falling to the floor multiple occasions during close exchanges.
The underdog closed well, but several stanzas were challenging to assess. Although, previous titleholder Carl Frampton - commentating on the broadcast network - had it strongly leaning for the challenger, awarding Buatsi just a single round.
Buatsi progresses, but with the likes of heavy hitter David Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the journey to titles - on this evidence - still looks steep.
Hatton Homage Fuels All-Manchester Battle
In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur overcame Bradley Rea by split-decision in a excellent local rivalry fight to capture the continental title.
The venue became quiet for a deeply poignant memorial prior to the bout as a bell ceremony sounded in memory of Manchester's own Hatton, who died aged 46 in September.
It was the initial significant broadcast match card in the location since the passing of Hatton. As the final chime disappeared, the silence transitioned to a roar of "only one Hatton".
The action during the bout matched the sentiment. Arthur was floored by a left hook flush on the jaw in the early round, standing uncertainly to his position on the count of eight.
But the Manchester United-red equipment of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. From the other corner, Rea - in opposing blue - was damaged early, heavy swelling forming under his orbital area as the pair exchanged hard punches.
Rea, twenty-seven, connected with strong blows but the champion, thirty-four, responded in kind with powerful upward punches as the intensity hardly diminished over twelve rounds.
The victor edged the verdict with scoring tallies of 114-114, 115-113 and clearer margin, but each competitor were relentless and courageous, exactly what their hero Hatton stood for.
