British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet underwhelming start to life under fresh promotional backing with a points victory over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic bronze medallist's activity level appeared to earn him a majority decision in a tight ten-round contest at the Manchester venue.
But the challenger found success, connecting with powerful individual punches in a match where the styles failed to mesh, with frequent clinching marring the action.
Two judges had it 96-94 to the winner, with the final judge a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my best performance but what defines champions? They succeed," Buatsi commented in the ringside as he was met by disapproval from the spectators.
The Londoner bounced back after his maiden career setback - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in February - to secure a twentieth professional win.
Several boxing experts believed the challenger, 31, merited the decision but the contender suffered the second defeat of his 28-match professional journey.
The Champion Earns Triumph in Uneventful Match
His career development has stalled in the past few years through promotional disputes and considerable time of lack of fights.
Earlier forecast as the next star of UK boxing, he now finds himself trying to realize his potential - maybe in what seems like a last chance - under recent support.
He opened tentatively, with the two boxers willing to be aggressive in a calculated early stages.
Parker, whose single earlier setback came at the lower weight class against his former opponent in 2022 after suffering a hand injury during the bout, was making just his second bout at light-heavyweight.
By the fight's midpoint, the underdog had stayed in contention, making life awkward for the favorite, who worked behind a tight guard to narrowly win the better stanzas.
The spectators' acceptance wore thin amid regular grabbing, with the challenger slipping to the canvas several times during grappling.
Parker ended stronger, but many rounds were hard to judge. Nevertheless, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - commentating on the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for Parker, awarding Buatsi just only one stanza.
Buatsi moves on, but with the presence of hard hitter Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Bivol ruling the division, the journey to titles - based on this performance - still seems difficult.
Hatton Homage Motivates Local Rivalry Contest
In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur beat Bradley Rea by split-decision in a outstanding all-Manchester battle to secure the European light-heavyweight championship.
The stadium grew hushed for a deeply poignant tribute ahead of the contest as 10 bells sounded in memory of local hero Ricky Hatton, who passed away 46 years old in last month.
It was the initial significant broadcast fight night in the city since Hatton's passing. As the last bell ended, the silence transitioned to a roar of "there's only one Hatton".
The competition within the ring equaled the emotion. The eventual winner was floored by a left hook directly to the jaw in the early round, rising shakily to his feet on the referee's count.
But the traditional red equipment of the fighter soon came forward again. Across the ring, Rea - in opposing blue - was marked up quickly, significant bruising developing under his face as the fighters landed punishing blows.
The challenger, 27, connected with strong blows but the champion, thirty-four, matched the intensity with effective uppercuts as the pace seldom decreased over 12 rounds.
Arthur narrowly won the result with scoring tallies of even score, close margin and wider gap, but both fighters were relentless and courageous, all the qualities their hero the legend represented.
