British light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet underwhelming beginning to his career under new promoters with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's punch output seemingly secured him a split decision in a close 10-round bout at the Manchester venue.
But the challenger had his moments, landing some telling single shots in a contest where the approaches failed to mesh, with frequent clinching spoiling the fight.
The scoring judges had it 96-94 for to Buatsi, with the third a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my best performance but how do champions respond? They succeed," the victor commented in the ringside as he was met by boos from the audience.
The British fighter returned to winning ways after his maiden career setback - an epic battle with his previous opponent in February - to earn a 20th career victory.
Some ringside observers believed Parker, 31, should have been awarded the decision but the British boxer experienced the second setback of his 28-fight professional journey.
The Champion Secures Win in Dull Encounter
The fighter's advancement has stalled in recent times through promotional disputes and extended periods of inactivity.
Earlier forecast as the rising talent of British boxing, he now finds himself trying to fulfil that early promise - perhaps in what feels like a final roll of the dice - under recent support.
He started carefully, with neither fighter prepared to be aggressive in a tentative early stages.
The challenger, whose sole prior loss came at super middleweight against John Ryder in 2022 after suffering a hand injury during the bout, was participating in his second fight at light-heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, the underdog had kept it close, making life awkward for the favorite, who worked behind a protective stance to edge the better rounds.
The audience's tolerance wore thin during constant clinching, with the challenger going down multiple occasions during grappling.
The underdog finished the stronger, but several stanzas were challenging to assess. Nevertheless, previous titleholder Carl Frampton - working with the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for Parker, awarding Buatsi just only one stanza.
The victor moves on, but with the caliber of power puncher David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the journey to titles - judging by this showing - still seems difficult.
Ricky Hatton Tribute Inspires Local Rivalry Fight
In the co-main event, Arthur overcame Bradley Rea by close verdict in a terrific all-Manchester contest to secure the European light heavyweight belt.
The stadium fell silent for a deeply poignant homage prior to the bout as a bell ceremony tolled in memory of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who passed away aged 46 in September.
It was the premier televised match card in the urban center since the passing of Hatton. As the concluding sound faded, the stillness became a shout of "only one Hatton".
The fighting within the ring matched the feeling. The eventual winner was knocked down by a significant blow squarely on the jaw in the second round, getting up unsteadily to his feet on the referee's count.
But the Manchester United-red equipment of Arthur soon came forward again. On the opposite side, the opponent - in competitive blue - was marked up quickly, noticeable damage developing under his orbital area as the fighters traded punishing blows.
Rea, 27, connected with strong blows but Arthur, thirty-four, matched the intensity with stinging uppercuts as the intensity seldom decreased over twelve rounds.
Arthur barely secured the verdict with judges scorecards of even score, close margin and clearer margin, but both fighters were determined and courageous, everything their hero Hatton stood for.
