British light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet disappointing debut to life under fresh promotional backing with a points victory over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's work rate likely gained him a majority decision in a close 10-round contest at the Manchester venue.
But the challenger found success, landing some telling individual punches in a match where the techniques failed to mesh, with excessive holding marring the action.
Two judges judged it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the remaining official a even score.
"It wasn't my best display but what do champions do? They succeed," Buatsi stated in the ringside as he was faced disapproval from the audience.
The British fighter bounced back after his maiden career setback - an epic battle with his previous opponent in last winter - to earn a 20th pro success.
Some ringside observers thought the challenger, thirty-one, deserved the victory but the British boxer experienced the second loss of his 28-fight career.
Buatsi Claims Win in Slow Encounter
His career development has plateaued in the past few years through management issues and long spells of lack of fights.
Once tipped as the rising talent of UK boxing, he now finds himself trying to fulfil that early promise - possibly in what appears to be a final roll of the dice - under recent support.
He opened tentatively, with both competitors willing to overcommit in a cagey initial rounds.
The challenger, whose only previous defeat came at super middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after damaging his hand mid-fight, was participating in his second fight at light-heavyweight.
By the middle rounds, the underdog had kept it close, causing problems for Buatsi, who worked behind a tight guard to edge the better rounds.
The audience's tolerance diminished during frequent holding, with Parker slipping to the canvas various instances during grappling.
The underdog ended stronger, but many rounds were difficult to score. However, former world champion Carl Frampton - commentating on Dazn - had it strongly leaning for Parker, giving Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi advances, but with the caliber of power puncher David Benavidez, and Russian star Bivol dominating the weight class, the path to championship success - based on this performance - still appears challenging.
Ricky Hatton Homage Inspires Manchester Derby Contest
In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur overcame Rea by close verdict in a excellent local rivalry battle to win the European light heavyweight belt.
The venue fell silent for a profoundly moving tribute prior to the bout as a bell ceremony rang in remembrance of Manchester's own Hatton, who succumbed at age 46 in recently.
It was the first major televised match card in the city since Hatton's death. As the final chime faded, the silence became a chant of "only one Ricky Hatton".
The fighting within the ring matched the emotion. The eventual winner was floored by a powerful punch flush on the face in the early round, rising shakily to his footing on the eight count.
But the red-colored equipment of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, the opponent - in competitive blue - was damaged early, noticeable damage appearing under his eye as the pair exchanged punishing blows.
Rea, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but the champion, 34, fought fire with fire with stinging uppercuts as the intensity hardly diminished over twelve rounds.
The victor edged the decision with scoring tallies of draw, close margin and clearer margin, but the two athletes were persistent and courageous, everything their hero the legend represented.
