UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet underwhelming beginning to life under fresh promotional backing with a points victory over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's work rate seemingly secured him a judges' verdict in a competitive ten-round bout at the Manchester venue.
But Parker had his moments, connecting with powerful single shots in a fight where the approaches never quite clicked, with excessive holding marring the action.
Two judges scored it 96-94 in favor to Buatsi, with the remaining official a 95-95.
"It wasn't my greatest performance but how do champions respond? They succeed," Buatsi commented in the arena as he was greeted with negative reactions from the crowd.
The Londoner got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an epic battle with his previous opponent in February - to claim a 20th pro success.
Various analysts believed Parker, 31, merited the win but the British boxer suffered the second loss of his 28-match career.
Buatsi Earns Win in Slow Encounter
Buatsi's progress has stalled in recent years through contract problems and long spells of inactivity.
Once tipped as the rising talent of UK boxing, he now is positioned trying to fulfil that early promise - maybe in what seems like a final roll of the dice - under new promotional backing.
He opened tentatively, with neither fighter prepared to be aggressive in a tentative initial rounds.
The challenger, whose single earlier setback came at super-middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after breaking his hand in the contest, was competing in only his second bout at light heavyweight.
By the middle rounds, Parker had stayed in contention, causing problems for Buatsi, who utilized a solid defense to barely take the cleaner periods.
The crowd's patience wore thin because of regular grabbing, with Parker going down several times during grappling.
Parker closed well, but multiple periods were difficult to score. Nevertheless, previous titleholder Carl Frampton - commentating on the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for the challenger, giving Buatsi just one round.
The victor advances, but with the caliber of power puncher Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the path to championship success - judging by this showing - still appears challenging.
Hatton Homage Motivates Manchester Derby Fight
In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by split-decision in a excellent all-Manchester fight to secure the European light-heavyweight championship.
The venue fell silent for a deeply poignant homage prior to the bout as ten bells tolled in honor of the city's native Hatton, who succumbed aged 46 in last month.
It was the first major televised match card in the urban center since Hatton's death. As the concluding sound faded, the quiet became a chant of "there's just one Ricky Hatton".
The competition during the bout reflected the feeling. The eventual winner was sent to the canvas by a powerful punch squarely on the jaw in the initial stage, rising shakily to his position on the referee's count.
But the red-colored attire of Arthur soon advanced again. On the opposite side, Rea - in rival City blue - was injured early, noticeable damage appearing under his face as the duo traded punishing blows.
The challenger, 27, connected with strong blows but Arthur, thirty-four, matched the intensity with powerful upward punches as the action rarely dropped over twelve rounds.
The victor edged the verdict with judges scorecards of 114-114, close margin and 115-112, but each competitor were persistent and brave, all the qualities their hero the legend represented.
