Ryan Walsh brought the British featherweight belt back to Norfolk – but looks almost certain to have a rematch with Isaac Lowe after a hard-fought title clash in Manchester.
The three ringsides judges were unable to separate the two, and the split draw means Cromer's Walsh retains the title he has now defended on four occasions.
'Ryan is a very fair man and that is what is likely to happen,' said trainer Graham Everett.
'It has rematch written all over it. The general opinion was it was a real good fight, a classic, so it looks a good one to do again.'
However, while it was close, many at ringside thought Walsh had done enough to have been given a clear decision.
Lowe certainly took his best game into the ring, but Walsh enjoyed a fine spell in rounds seven and eight before having to keep a lid on the anticipated final assault by the man from Morecambe.
It was toe-to-toe at times, genuine value for money for a packed house at the Manchester Arena, but there were a few eyebrows raised when the judges scored it 116-114 Walsh, 115-114 Lowe and 115-115.
'I have to be honest, we all believed Ryan had won the fight,' said Everett.
'Some of the earlier rounds were close, there's no doubt about that, but I believe Ryan's ability and experience then began to show through and I think he pulled away towards the end of the fight.
'When the score of 116-114 in Ryan's favour was read out we all thought that was about right, because we knew it had been close but we thought Ryan had got ahead.
'He finished well in those final Championship rounds to pull away.'
The build-up to the fight had been punctuated by bad feeling between the two fighters, but that evaporated after the final bell.
Walsh later tweeted: 'Credit to Isaac – he's earned my respect in a place that demands it.'
Lowe said: 'I don't know what I have to do to get a decision in a big title fight.
'It was close but I thought I had it by one or two.
'I just needed to stick to my boxing a little more but I like to fight.
'I'll be back and one day and I'll get my hands on that title.'
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