UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet unimpressive debut to his career under fresh promotional backing with a decision win over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic bronze medallist's punch output likely gained him a split decision in a competitive ten-round fight at the boxing arena.
But the challenger found success, landing some telling clean blows in a contest where the styles never quite clicked, with excessive holding spoiling the fight.
The officials judged it 96-94 in favor to Buatsi, with the final judge a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my greatest display but how do champions respond? They prevail," Buatsi stated in the ring as he was faced disapproval from the spectators.
The Londoner bounced back after his maiden career setback - an thrilling contest with Callum Smith in last winter - to earn a 20th pro success.
Several boxing experts felt Parker, thirty-one, merited the win but the British boxer endured the second setback of his 28-match career.
Buatsi Earns Win in Dull Encounter
The fighter's advancement has plateaued in recent years through promotional disputes and long spells of inactivity.
Previously predicted as the rising talent of the British fight scene, he now stands trying to achieve expectations - maybe in what appears to be a final roll of the dice - under recent support.
He started carefully, with the two boxers willing to take risks in a calculated initial rounds.
The challenger, whose single earlier setback came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in 2022 after breaking his hand in the contest, was competing in only his second appearance at light-heavyweight.
By the middle rounds, Parker had made it competitive, making life awkward for Buatsi, who worked behind a protective stance to edge the better periods.
The crowd's patience diminished because of constant clinching, with Parker slipping to the canvas several times during close exchanges.
Parker ended stronger, but multiple periods were hard to judge. However, former world champion Carl Frampton - commentating on Dazn - had it significantly in favor for the challenger, giving Buatsi just one round.
The victor advances, but with the presence of hard hitter Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Bivol dominating the weight class, the journey to titles - on this evidence - still seems difficult.
Ricky Hatton Homage Motivates All-Manchester Battle
In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur beat Bradley Rea by close verdict in a outstanding all-Manchester contest to capture the European light-heavyweight title.
The arena became quiet for a extremely emotional memorial ahead of the contest as a bell ceremony sounded in memory of Manchester's own Hatton, who died 46 years old in recently.
It was the first major televised fight night in the location since Hatton's death. As the final chime disappeared, the quiet gave way to a chant of "only one Hatton".
The competition inside the ropes reflected the emotion. The eventual winner was sent to the canvas by a significant blow squarely on the face in the early round, getting up unsteadily to his position on the referee's count.
But the red-colored equipment of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. From the other corner, Rea - in rival City blue - was damaged quickly, noticeable damage forming under his face as the pair landed hard punches.
Rea, twenty-seven, landed power punches but Arthur, thirty-four, matched the intensity with effective uppercuts as the action rarely dropped over 12 rounds.
Arthur barely secured the verdict with official scores of 114-114, 115-113 and wider gap, but the two athletes were determined and full of heart, everything their hero Hatton represented.
