UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet underwhelming debut to his career under new promoters with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's work rate seemingly secured him a judges' verdict in a competitive 10-round fight at the Manchester venue.
But the challenger had his moments, landing some telling single shots in a fight where the techniques didn't complement each other, with frequent clinching disrupting the action.
The scoring judges scored it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the final judge a even score.
"It wasn't my finest display but what do champions do? They win," Buatsi said in the arena as he was met by boos from the audience.
The Londoner bounced back after his first professional defeat - an epic battle with Callum Smith in last winter - to secure a 20th career victory.
Several boxing experts believed the challenger, 31, should have been awarded the decision but the Derbyshire fighter endured the second defeat of his 28-fight career.
Buatsi Claims Victory in Slow Encounter
Buatsi's progress has slowed in recent years through contract problems and extended periods of lack of fights.
Previously predicted as the next star of the British fight scene, he now finds himself trying to realize his potential - maybe in what appears to be a ultimate opportunity - under new promotional backing.
He opened tentatively, with neither fighter ready to overcommit in a calculated initial rounds.
The challenger, whose only previous defeat came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in 2022 after damaging his hand during the bout, was making just his second appearance at light heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, the underdog had made it competitive, causing problems for the favorite, who utilized a tight guard to narrowly win the better stanzas.
The crowd's patience decreased during frequent holding, with Parker going down multiple occasions during clinches.
Parker finished the stronger, but many rounds were challenging to assess. However, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - providing analysis for the broadcast network - had it significantly in favor for Parker, giving Buatsi just only one stanza.
The victor advances, but with the likes of power puncher Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Bivol ruling the division, the path to championship success - judging by this showing - still seems difficult.
Hatton Memorial Fuels Manchester Derby Fight
In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur overcame Rea by split-decision in a excellent all-Manchester contest to win the European light-heavyweight title.
The stadium fell silent for a deeply poignant memorial ahead of the contest as 10 bells tolled in memory of Manchester's own Hatton, who succumbed aged 46 in September.
It was the first major televised match card in the location since Hatton's passing. As the concluding sound faded, the silence transitioned to a chant of "only one Hatton".
The action within the ring reflected the emotion. The eventual winner was knocked down by a left hook flush on the chin in the early round, standing uncertainly to his feet on the referee's count.
But the Manchester United-red shorts of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. From the other corner, the opponent - in rival City blue - was marked up quickly, noticeable damage forming under his orbital area as the fighters traded powerful shots.
Rea, 27, delivered effective strikes but the champion, 34, matched the intensity with effective uppercuts as the pace hardly diminished over 12 rounds.
The victor edged the decision with scoring tallies of even score, close margin and wider gap, but both fighters were relentless and brave, everything their hero Hatton stood for.
