UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet unimpressive debut to his career under fresh promotional backing with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic bronze medallist's work rate seemingly secured him a majority decision in a close ten-round contest at the Co-op Live Arena.
But the challenger found success, landing some telling clean blows in a fight where the styles didn't complement each other, with excessive holding marring the fight.
The scoring judges scored it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the final judge a even score.
"It wasn't my finest display but what do champions do? They succeed," the victor stated in the ringside as he was greeted with boos from the crowd.
The Londoner got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an epic battle with his previous opponent in last winter - to claim a 20th pro success.
Some ringside observers believed Parker, thirty-one, merited the victory but the British boxer suffered the second setback of his 28-match professional journey.
Buatsi Earns Win in Slow Match
Buatsi's progress has stalled in recent years through contract problems and extended periods of lack of fights.
Once tipped as the future of the British fight scene, he now stands trying to fulfil that early promise - maybe in what feels like a last chance - under new promotional backing.
He began cautiously, with the two boxers prepared to overcommit in a calculated initial rounds.
Parker, whose single earlier setback came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in 2022 after damaging his hand in the contest, was making just his second appearance at the higher weight class.
By the halfway stage, the underdog had kept it close, causing problems for the favorite, who utilized a solid defense to edge the cleaner stanzas.
The crowd's patience diminished amid constant clinching, with Parker falling to the floor multiple occasions during close exchanges.
The underdog closed well, but many rounds were difficult to score. However, ex-champion Carl Frampton - working with Dazn - had it particularly wide for the challenger, scoring for Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi moves on, but with the caliber of power puncher David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the journey to titles - based on this performance - still appears challenging.
Hatton Memorial Fuels All-Manchester Contest
In the secondary fight, Arthur overcame Rea by close verdict in a terrific all-Manchester battle to win the continental championship.
The stadium grew hushed for a profoundly moving homage prior to the bout as a bell ceremony sounded in memory of local hero Hatton, who passed away aged 46 in last month.
It was the first major televised fight night in the urban center since the passing of Hatton. As the final chime ended, the silence became a roar of "there's just one Hatton".
The competition within the ring reflected the emotion. The eventual winner was floored by a powerful punch squarely on the face in the initial stage, standing uncertainly to his footing on the eight count.
But the Manchester United-red equipment of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. From the other corner, Rea - in competitive blue - was marked up quickly, noticeable damage appearing under his eye as the fighters exchanged hard punches.
The challenger, twenty-seven, connected with strong blows but Arthur, 34, responded in kind with stinging uppercuts as the action rarely dropped over the full distance.
The victor edged the decision with scoring tallies of 114-114, close margin and 115-112, but each competitor were persistent and courageous, all the qualities their hero the legend embodied.
