British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet disappointing beginning to his career under recent management with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's punch output seemingly secured him a judges' verdict in a competitive 10-round fight at the Manchester venue.
But the challenger had his moments, delivering effective clean blows in a match where the techniques failed to mesh, with excessive holding spoiling the contest.
Two judges scored it 96-94 to the winner, with the third a even score.
"It wasn't my greatest display but what do champions do? They prevail," Buatsi commented in the ring as he was greeted with boos from the audience.
The British fighter got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in February - to secure a 20th career victory.
Several boxing experts felt the challenger, thirty-one, merited the victory but the contender experienced the second setback of his 28-fight career.
The Champion Earns Win in Slow Match
His career development has slowed in the past few years through management issues and considerable time of inactivity.
Earlier forecast as the next star of the British fight scene, he now stands trying to achieve expectations - possibly in what appears to be a ultimate opportunity - under new promotional backing.
He began cautiously, with both competitors willing to overcommit in a tentative initial rounds.
The challenger, whose single earlier setback came at the lower weight class against John Ryder in two years ago after damaging his hand in the contest, was participating in his second bout at light-heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, the underdog had stayed in contention, creating difficulties for Buatsi, who worked behind a protective stance to edge the more effective stanzas.
The spectators' acceptance wore thin amid regular grabbing, with Parker slipping to the canvas several times during close exchanges.
The underdog closed well, but many rounds were challenging to assess. Nevertheless, former world champion Carl Frampton - providing analysis for Dazn - had it strongly leaning for Parker, awarding Buatsi just only one stanza.
Buatsi progresses, but with the presence of hard hitter David Benavidez, and Russian star Bivol ruling the division, the road to world glory - judging by this showing - still seems difficult.
Hatton Homage Inspires Manchester Derby Contest
In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur beat Bradley Rea by split-decision in a excellent Manchester vs Manchester battle to capture the European light-heavyweight belt.
The arena grew hushed for a profoundly moving memorial ahead of the contest as 10 bells tolled in remembrance of the city's native Hatton, who succumbed 46 years old in September.
It was the first major televised fight night in the urban center since Hatton's death. As the final chime faded, the quiet transitioned to a shout of "there's only one Hatton".
The fighting inside the ropes matched the emotion. The eventual winner was knocked down by a left hook directly to the chin in the initial stage, standing uncertainly to his footing on the eight count.
But the Manchester United-red equipment of Arthur soon came forward again. Across the ring, Rea - in rival City blue - was marked up quickly, noticeable damage developing under his face as the pair traded hard punches.
The challenger, twenty-seven, connected with strong blows but Arthur, thirty-four, matched the intensity with powerful upward punches as the action rarely dropped over the full distance.
The victor narrowly won the verdict with scoring tallies of even score, close margin and clearer margin, but the two athletes were persistent and full of heart, exactly what their hero Hatton represented.
