UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet unimpressive debut to his career under new promoters with a points victory over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's work rate likely gained him a majority decision in a close 10-round contest at the boxing arena.
But Parker found success, landing some telling single shots in a fight where the techniques didn't complement each other, with excessive holding marring the fight.
The officials scored it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the third a 95-95.
"It wasn't my greatest showing but what defines champions? They win," Buatsi said in the arena as he was met by negative reactions from the crowd.
The British fighter got back to winning after his maiden career setback - an memorable fight with his previous opponent in last winter - to earn a 20th career victory.
Several boxing experts felt Parker, 31, merited the victory but the contender suffered the second defeat of his 28-bout career.
Buatsi Secures Victory in Slow Affair
His career development has plateaued in recent years through management issues and long spells of inactivity.
Earlier forecast as the future of the British fight scene, he now finds himself trying to fulfil that early promise - maybe in what feels like a ultimate opportunity - under new promotional backing.
He opened tentatively, with both competitors willing to overcommit in a cagey initial rounds.
The challenger, whose sole prior loss came at super middleweight against John Ryder in two years ago after suffering a hand injury during the bout, was participating in his second bout at light-heavyweight.
By the middle rounds, the underdog had kept it close, making life awkward for the favorite, who worked behind a protective stance to barely take the cleaner stanzas.
The spectators' acceptance wore thin during frequent holding, with the challenger slipping to the canvas multiple occasions during close exchanges.
The underdog closed well, but several stanzas were hard to judge. Although, former world champion the boxing analyst - providing analysis for Dazn - had it significantly in favor for Parker, awarding Buatsi just one round.
The victor advances, but with the likes of heavy hitter David Benavidez, and Russian star Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the path to championship success - based on this performance - still appears challenging.
Hatton Tribute Fuels All-Manchester Fight
In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur defeated Rea by divided decision in a terrific local rivalry battle to capture the European light-heavyweight belt.
The stadium grew hushed for a deeply poignant homage prior to the bout as 10 bells rang in honor of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who succumbed 46 years old in last month.
It was the first major televised boxing event in the city since Hatton's passing. As the last bell disappeared, the quiet transitioned to a chant of "there's only one Ricky Hatton".
The action inside the ropes equaled the feeling. The eventual winner was knocked down by a left hook directly to the chin in the initial stage, standing uncertainly to his feet on the referee's count.
But the traditional red equipment of Arthur soon advanced again. On the opposite side, Rea - in competitive blue - was marked up quickly, noticeable damage forming under his face as the fighters landed punishing blows.
Rea, twenty-seven, landed power punches but the champion, thirty-four, fought fire with fire with effective uppercuts as the intensity rarely dropped over 12 rounds.
The victor edged the decision with scoring tallies of even score, 115-113 and clearer margin, but both fighters were determined and full of heart, everything their inspiration the legend represented.
