UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet underwhelming start to life under recent management with a decision win over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's punch output likely gained him a majority decision in a close 10-round fight at the boxing arena.
But Parker had his moments, landing some telling individual punches in a fight where the approaches never quite clicked, with constant grabbing spoiling the contest.
The officials scored it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the final judge a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my finest showing but how do champions respond? They succeed," the victor said in the ring as he was faced disapproval from the crowd.
The Londoner got back to winning after his initial pro loss - an thrilling contest with Callum Smith in last winter - to secure a twentieth professional win.
Some ringside observers believed the challenger, 31, deserved the victory but the Derbyshire fighter suffered the second setback of his 28-fight career.
Buatsi Claims Triumph in Slow Affair
Buatsi's progress has plateaued in the past few years through management issues and long spells of inactivity.
Earlier forecast as the future of British boxing, he now is positioned trying to achieve expectations - perhaps in what feels like a ultimate opportunity - under recent support.
He opened tentatively, with both competitors willing to overcommit in a calculated early stages.
Parker, whose sole prior loss came at super-middleweight against his former opponent in two years ago after breaking his hand mid-fight, was competing in only his second fight at the higher weight class.
By the halfway stage, the underdog had stayed in contention, causing problems for Buatsi, who worked behind a protective stance to barely take the more effective periods.
The spectators' acceptance wore thin during regular grabbing, with Parker falling to the floor various instances during clinches.
The underdog ended stronger, but many rounds were hard to judge. However, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - providing analysis for the broadcast network - had it significantly in favor for Parker, awarding Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi moves on, but with the likes of hard hitter David Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the journey to titles - judging by this showing - still appears challenging.
Hatton Homage Fuels All-Manchester Fight
In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur overcame Bradley Rea by close verdict in a terrific local rivalry fight to secure the continental belt.
The venue became quiet for a deeply poignant memorial prior to the bout as 10 bells rang in memory of the city's native Ricky Hatton, who died 46 years old in last month.
It was the premier televised fight night in the urban center since Hatton's death. As the last bell ended, the silence transitioned to a shout of "there's just one Hatton".
The competition inside the ropes equaled the feeling. The eventual winner was floored by a left hook squarely on the chin in the second round, rising shakily to his footing on the eight count.
But the traditional red attire of Arthur soon advanced again. On the opposite side, Rea - in competitive blue - was damaged quickly, heavy swelling appearing under his orbital area as the pair traded powerful shots.
Rea, 27, delivered effective strikes but Arthur, 34, responded in kind with effective uppercuts as the action rarely dropped over twelve rounds.
Arthur edged the verdict with scoring tallies of even score, narrow lead and 115-112, but both fighters were persistent and brave, everything their hero Hatton represented.
