British light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet unimpressive debut to life under recent management with a points victory over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's punch output appeared to earn him a majority decision in a tight ten-round contest at the Co-op Live Arena.
But Parker landed significant shots, landing some telling single shots in a match where the techniques failed to mesh, with constant grabbing disrupting the fight.
The scoring judges scored it 96-94 in favor to Buatsi, with the remaining official a even score.
"It wasn't my finest performance but what defines champions? They prevail," Buatsi stated in the ringside as he was greeted with boos from the crowd.
The British fighter bounced back after his initial pro loss - an epic battle with his previous opponent in last winter - to earn a 20th pro success.
Some ringside observers felt Parker, 31, should have been awarded the decision but the British boxer endured the second defeat of his 28-match career.
The Champion Earns Victory in Slow Match
His career development has plateaued in recent times through promotional disputes and considerable time of lack of fights.
Earlier forecast as the next star of the British fight scene, he now is positioned trying to fulfil that early promise - perhaps in what seems like a ultimate opportunity - under new promotional backing.
He opened tentatively, with neither fighter ready to be aggressive in a tentative initial rounds.
Parker, whose only previous defeat came at super-middleweight against his former opponent in two years ago after breaking his hand in the contest, was making just his second fight at the higher weight class.
By the fight's midpoint, Parker had made it competitive, creating difficulties for Buatsi, who utilized a tight guard to edge the better stanzas.
The audience's tolerance wore thin amid frequent holding, with the challenger going down multiple occasions during grappling.
Parker ended stronger, but multiple periods were challenging to assess. Although, ex-champion the boxing analyst - commentating on Dazn - had it significantly in favor for the challenger, giving Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi moves on, but with the likes of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Russian star Bivol leading the category, the path to championship success - judging by this showing - still seems difficult.
Hatton Memorial Motivates Local Rivalry Contest
In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur beat Rea by divided decision in a outstanding local rivalry battle to capture the continental title.
The arena grew hushed for a extremely emotional homage before the fight as 10 bells sounded in honor of the city's native Ricky Hatton, who succumbed at age 46 in September.
It was the first major televised boxing event in the location since Hatton's passing. As the last bell ended, the silence gave way to a shout of "there's just one Hatton".
The fighting during the bout matched the emotion. Arthur was knocked down by a left hook flush on the jaw in the early round, standing uncertainly to his feet on the referee's count.
But the red-colored attire of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, Rea - in opposing blue - was damaged quickly, noticeable damage forming under his orbital area as the pair traded hard punches.
Rea, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but the champion, 34, matched the intensity with stinging uppercuts as the intensity rarely dropped over 12 rounds.
The victor barely secured the verdict with judges scorecards of 114-114, 115-113 and 115-112, but each competitor were determined and brave, exactly what their idol the legend embodied.
