British light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet unimpressive debut to his career under recent management with a decision win over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's punch output seemingly secured him a split decision in a tight 10-round fight at the Co-op Live Arena.
But Parker had his moments, landing some telling individual punches in a fight where the techniques failed to mesh, with frequent clinching disrupting the fight.
The scoring judges had it 96-94 for to the winner, with the final judge a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my greatest display but how do champions respond? They prevail," Buatsi said in the arena as he was greeted with negative reactions from the spectators.
The Londoner bounced back after his maiden career setback - an epic battle with his previous opponent in February - to secure a 20th pro success.
Some ringside observers thought Parker, 31, deserved the victory but the Derbyshire fighter suffered the second loss of his 28-fight career.
Buatsi Earns Victory in Uneventful Affair
Buatsi's progress has slowed in recent years through contract problems and long spells of inactivity.
Once tipped as the next star of UK boxing, he now is positioned trying to realize his potential - possibly in what appears to be a ultimate opportunity - under fresh management.
He began cautiously, with neither fighter 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 making just his second appearance at the higher weight class.
By the middle rounds, Parker had kept it close, making life awkward for Buatsi, who utilized a tight guard to barely take the more effective rounds.
The spectators' acceptance decreased because of constant clinching, with Parker going down various instances during close exchanges.
The underdog finished the stronger, but several stanzas were hard to judge. However, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - working with the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for Parker, giving Buatsi just a single round.
Buatsi advances, but with the presence of hard hitter David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Bivol dominating the weight class, the journey to titles - on this evidence - still appears challenging.
Hatton Homage Inspires Manchester Derby Fight
In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur beat Bradley Rea by close verdict in a excellent all-Manchester contest to win the European light-heavyweight belt.
The venue became quiet for a deeply poignant tribute before the fight as a bell ceremony rang in honor of local hero Hatton, who passed away 46 years old in last month.
It was the premier televised fight night in the location since Hatton's passing. As the last bell faded, the stillness transitioned to a shout of "there's just one Ricky Hatton".
The action within the ring matched the sentiment. Arthur was sent to the canvas by a left hook squarely on the jaw in the second round, rising shakily to his footing on the referee's count.
But the red-colored shorts of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, the opponent - in competitive blue - was marked up quickly, significant bruising appearing under his orbital area as the fighters traded powerful shots.
The challenger, 27, landed power punches but the champion, 34, fought fire with fire with stinging uppercuts as the intensity hardly diminished over the full distance.
Arthur barely secured the verdict with official scores of 114-114, 115-113 and wider gap, but the two athletes were relentless and full of heart, exactly what their inspiration Hatton embodied.
