UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet underwhelming start to his career under new promoters with a decision win over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's work rate seemingly secured him a split decision in a close 10-round contest at the Co-op Live Arena.
But the challenger landed significant shots, delivering effective individual punches in a fight where the styles never quite clicked, with constant grabbing marring the fight.
Two judges scored it 96-94 in favor to Buatsi, with the final judge a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my best performance but what do champions do? They win," Buatsi commented in the ring as he was greeted with negative reactions from the crowd.
The British fighter bounced back after his maiden career setback - an thrilling contest with Callum Smith in February - to earn a 20th pro success.
Various analysts thought the challenger, 31, deserved the win but the contender endured the second defeat of his 28-bout professional journey.
The Champion Earns Triumph in Slow Affair
Buatsi's progress has stalled in recent years through management issues and considerable time of inactivity.
Earlier forecast as the rising talent of UK boxing, he now is positioned trying to achieve expectations - possibly in what feels like a final roll of the dice - under recent support.
He opened tentatively, with neither fighter willing to take risks in a calculated early stages.
Parker, whose single earlier setback came at the lower weight class against his former opponent in 2022 after breaking his hand during the bout, was participating in his second bout at the higher weight class.
By the halfway stage, Parker had stayed in contention, creating difficulties for the favorite, who operated with a protective stance to narrowly win the more effective rounds.
The crowd's patience wore thin amid constant clinching, with the challenger falling to the floor various instances during grappling.
Parker ended stronger, but multiple periods were hard to judge. However, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - working with Dazn - had it strongly leaning for Parker, awarding Buatsi just only one stanza.
The victor advances, but with the caliber of hard hitter Benavidez, and Russian star Bivol dominating the weight class, the journey to titles - judging by this showing - still appears challenging.
Hatton Memorial Fuels All-Manchester Fight
In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur beat Bradley Rea by divided decision in a terrific Manchester vs Manchester fight to secure the European light-heavyweight championship.
The venue fell silent for a extremely emotional homage before the fight as a bell ceremony tolled in honor of the city's native Hatton, who died aged 46 in recently.
It was the initial significant broadcast fight night in the location since Hatton's death. As the last bell faded, the quiet gave way to a shout of "there's just one Ricky Hatton".
The fighting within the ring reflected the emotion. The eventual winner was floored by a significant blow squarely on the jaw in the early round, getting up unsteadily to his position on the referee's count.
But the Manchester United-red equipment of Arthur soon advanced again. From the other corner, the opponent - in competitive blue - was damaged early, noticeable damage forming under his eye as the pair landed hard punches.
Rea, twenty-seven, landed power punches but the champion, thirty-four, matched the intensity with stinging uppercuts as the action rarely dropped over 12 rounds.
Arthur narrowly won the result with official scores of draw, 115-113 and wider gap, but each competitor were persistent and full of heart, everything their inspiration the legend stood for.
