Matthew Macklin put off any immediate plans to retire after a hard-fought points win over Brian Rose at The O2.
The Birmingham fighter had threatened to quit if he suffered a defeat, but he prevailed on points, earning scores of 113-113, 115-111 and 115-111 from the judges after a gruelling, scrappy fight, which saw both men docked points.
The two fighters exchanged respectful words in the days beforehand, but this goodwill had disappeared by the opening bell and Rose rammed home a sharp right hand.
Macklin came marauding forward behind a stiff jab in the second and thudded hurtful body shots into Rose's ribs.
Busily pumping out punches, Macklin forced Rose onto the back foot in the third, and the Brummie continued to target the body in the fourth.
Both men wore the signs of battle by the fifth, with Macklin's left eye beginning to swell, but he still spotted holes in Rose's defence and ended the round with an eye-catching combination.
Rose stood firm in the sixth, cuffing Macklin with hooks from close quarters, although this determined attack came at a cost as the Blackpool fighter suffered cuts on his eye and nose.
As Rose raised the tempo, Macklin's punches appeared increasingly weary, and he nearly spat out the gum shield after being tagged by a straight right in the eighth.
A frustrated Macklin was docked a point for a second low blow in the 10th, but this punishment drew a desperate response as he attacked Rose wildly in the 11th, earning another warning from the referee.
It was Rose's turn to lose a point in the last for holding, with the fired-up Macklin forcing out punches, and both men embraced after the final bell.
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