British light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet underwhelming start to his career under recent management with a points victory over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's activity level seemingly secured him a majority decision in a competitive ten-round fight at the Co-op Live Arena.
But the challenger found success, connecting with powerful clean blows in a fight where the approaches didn't complement each other, with excessive holding spoiling the fight.
The officials had it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the final judge a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my best display but what defines champions? They succeed," Buatsi stated in the arena as he was faced boos from the crowd.
The Londoner got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an memorable fight with his previous opponent in February - to claim a 20th pro success.
Some ringside observers felt the challenger, thirty-one, merited the victory but the Derbyshire fighter endured the second loss of his 28-bout career.
Buatsi Secures Triumph in Slow Encounter
The fighter's advancement has slowed in recent times through promotional disputes and extended periods of inactivity.
Previously predicted as the rising talent of British boxing, he now stands trying to realize his potential - maybe in what appears to be a last chance - under recent support.
He started carefully, with neither fighter willing to be aggressive in a tentative opening few rounds.
The challenger, whose single earlier setback came at the lower weight class against John Ryder in two years ago after damaging his hand in the contest, was competing in only his second bout at light-heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, Parker had stayed in contention, creating difficulties for the favorite, who operated with a tight guard to barely take the better periods.
The audience's tolerance wore thin because of constant clinching, with the challenger falling to the floor multiple occasions during close exchanges.
The underdog ended stronger, but many rounds were difficult to score. Although, ex-champion the boxing analyst - working with the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for the challenger, scoring for Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi advances, but with the likes of heavy hitter David Benavidez, and Russian star Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the journey to titles - based on this performance - still seems difficult.
Hatton Homage Motivates Local Rivalry Contest
In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by close verdict in a terrific local rivalry contest to secure the continental championship.
The venue became quiet for a deeply poignant tribute ahead of the contest as ten bells tolled in memory of the city's native Ricky Hatton, who died aged 46 in recently.
It was the initial significant broadcast boxing event in the city since Hatton's passing. As the last bell disappeared, the stillness became a roar of "only one Ricky Hatton".
The fighting within the ring equaled the feeling. The eventual winner was floored by a significant blow squarely on the face in the early round, getting up unsteadily to his position on the referee's count.
But the Manchester United-red attire of Arthur soon advanced again. On the opposite side, Rea - in competitive blue - was damaged early, heavy swelling forming under his orbital area as the duo traded hard punches.
The challenger, 27, delivered effective strikes but the champion, 34, responded in kind with effective uppercuts as the action hardly diminished over the full distance.
Arthur narrowly won the decision with judges scorecards of 114-114, narrow lead and 115-112, but the two athletes were relentless and full of heart, all the qualities their hero Hatton represented.
