UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet unimpressive debut to life under fresh promotional backing with a decision win over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic bronze medallist's punch output appeared to earn him a judges' verdict in a close 10-round fight at the Co-op Live Arena.
But the challenger landed significant shots, landing some telling individual punches in a match where the approaches didn't complement each other, with excessive holding marring the contest.
The scoring judges had it 96-94 for to the winner, with the third a 95-95.
"It wasn't my best showing but how do champions respond? They succeed," the victor said in the ringside as he was met by boos from the audience.
The British fighter got back to winning after his initial pro loss - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in February - to secure a 20th career victory.
Various analysts thought Parker, thirty-one, merited the victory but the British boxer experienced the second defeat of his 28-fight career.
Buatsi Earns Triumph in Slow Encounter
His career development has plateaued in recent times through contract problems and considerable time of inactivity.
Once tipped as the rising talent of the British fight scene, he now finds himself trying to achieve expectations - perhaps in what appears to be a final roll of the dice - under recent support.
He started carefully, with neither fighter willing to overcommit in a tentative opening few rounds.
Parker, whose only previous defeat came at super middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after breaking his hand mid-fight, was competing in only his second bout at the higher weight class.
By the halfway stage, Parker had kept it close, making life awkward for the favorite, who utilized a protective stance to edge the more effective periods.
The spectators' acceptance wore thin during regular grabbing, with Parker falling to the floor several times during close exchanges.
Parker closed well, but several stanzas were difficult to score. Nevertheless, ex-champion Carl Frampton - commentating on Dazn - had it significantly in favor for the challenger, scoring for Buatsi just only one stanza.
Buatsi advances, but with the likes of power puncher Benavidez, and Russian star Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the road to world glory - based on this performance - still seems difficult.
Ricky Hatton Memorial Inspires All-Manchester Contest
In the supporting bout, Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by close verdict in a excellent Manchester vs Manchester battle to secure the European light heavyweight belt.
The stadium grew hushed for a deeply poignant homage prior to the bout as 10 bells tolled in remembrance of the city's native Hatton, who died at age 46 in September.
It was the initial significant broadcast match card in the city since Hatton's passing. As the concluding sound disappeared, the silence transitioned to a shout of "only one Ricky Hatton".
The fighting within the ring matched the emotion. Arthur was sent to the canvas by a significant blow flush on the jaw in the initial stage, standing uncertainly to his position on the eight count.
But the traditional red shorts of the fighter soon advanced again. Across the ring, Rea - in rival City blue - was marked up soon, heavy swelling forming under his face as the fighters landed powerful shots.
Rea, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but the champion, 34, matched the intensity with effective uppercuts as the pace hardly diminished over twelve rounds.
The victor barely secured the result with official scores of draw, narrow lead and clearer margin, but both fighters were persistent and full of heart, everything their hero Hatton stood for.
