UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet underwhelming debut to life under new promoters with a decision win over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic bronze medallist's work rate likely gained him a majority decision in a tight 10-round contest at the Manchester venue.
But Parker found success, connecting with powerful clean blows in a fight where the approaches never quite clicked, with constant grabbing disrupting the action.
The officials scored it 96-94 for to the winner, with the final judge a even score.
"It wasn't my greatest performance but what defines champions? They succeed," the victor stated in the ringside as he was faced boos from the spectators.
The British fighter returned to winning ways after his maiden career setback - an thrilling contest with Callum Smith in last winter - to secure a twentieth professional win.
Various analysts felt the challenger, 31, merited the decision but the British boxer experienced the second loss of his 28-fight career.
The Champion Earns Win in Dull Encounter
His career development has slowed in recent times through promotional disputes and long spells of lack of fights.
Once tipped as the future of UK boxing, he now is positioned trying to achieve expectations - perhaps in what seems like a final roll of the dice - under recent support.
He started carefully, with neither fighter prepared to overcommit in a tentative initial rounds.
Parker, whose single earlier setback came at super middleweight against John Ryder in two years ago after breaking his hand mid-fight, was competing in only his second appearance at light heavyweight.
By the middle rounds, the underdog had kept it close, creating difficulties for the favorite, who utilized a tight guard to barely take the better periods.
The spectators' acceptance wore thin during frequent holding, with Parker slipping to the canvas multiple occasions during close exchanges.
The underdog finished the stronger, but multiple periods were challenging to assess. However, ex-champion the boxing analyst - working with the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for the challenger, giving Buatsi just a single round.
Buatsi advances, but with the presence of heavy hitter David Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the journey to titles - on this evidence - still seems difficult.
Ricky Hatton Tribute Fuels Local Rivalry Battle
In the co-main event, Arthur beat Rea by close verdict in a terrific local rivalry contest to capture the European light-heavyweight championship.
The stadium grew hushed for a extremely emotional homage prior to the bout as 10 bells rang in honor of the city's native Hatton, who passed away at age 46 in recently.
It was the initial significant broadcast match card in the location since the passing of Hatton. As the last bell faded, the stillness gave way to a shout of "only one Ricky Hatton".
The competition within the ring reflected the emotion. The eventual winner was floored by a powerful punch flush on the face in the initial stage, standing uncertainly to his feet on the referee's count.
But the Manchester United-red equipment of Arthur soon came forward again. Across the ring, the opponent - in competitive blue - was marked up early, heavy swelling forming under his orbital area as the fighters landed powerful shots.
The challenger, twenty-seven, connected with strong blows but Arthur, 34, fought fire with fire with stinging uppercuts as the action rarely dropped over twelve rounds.
The victor barely secured the verdict with judges scorecards of even score, 115-113 and wider gap, but both fighters were persistent and brave, all the qualities their idol Hatton embodied.
