UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet unimpressive beginning to his career under recent management with a decision win over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic bronze medallist's activity level likely gained him a split decision in a close 10-round bout at the Co-op Live Arena.
But Parker had his moments, landing some telling clean blows in a contest where the approaches didn't complement each other, with frequent clinching disrupting the action.
The scoring judges judged it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the third a 95-95.
"It wasn't my greatest display but how do champions respond? They succeed," Buatsi commented in the arena as he was greeted with disapproval from the audience.
The Londoner got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in February - to claim a 20th pro success.
Several boxing experts thought Parker, 31, merited the decision but the contender endured the second defeat of his 28-fight professional journey.
Buatsi Claims Victory in Dull Match
The fighter's advancement has plateaued in recent years through promotional disputes and extended periods of inactivity.
Previously predicted as the next star of British boxing, he now stands trying to fulfil that early promise - perhaps in what seems like a final roll of the dice - under recent support.
He opened tentatively, with neither fighter ready to be aggressive in a calculated early stages.
The challenger, whose only previous defeat came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in 2022 after damaging his hand mid-fight, was participating in his second fight at light heavyweight.
By the fight's midpoint, the underdog had made it competitive, creating difficulties for Buatsi, who worked behind a solid defense to barely take the cleaner periods.
The crowd's patience diminished during frequent holding, with Parker going down multiple occasions during clinches.
Parker closed well, but several stanzas were hard to judge. Although, former world champion the boxing analyst - commentating on the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for the challenger, giving Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi moves on, but with the presence of hard hitter Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the journey to titles - judging by this showing - still seems difficult.
Hatton Tribute Inspires All-Manchester Contest
In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur beat Bradley Rea by split-decision in a terrific Manchester vs Manchester fight to capture the European light heavyweight championship.
The venue grew hushed for a profoundly moving memorial prior to the bout as 10 bells rang in memory of the city's native Ricky Hatton, who passed away at age 46 in last month.
It was the first major televised boxing event in the location since Hatton's death. As the last bell faded, the quiet gave way to a shout of "there's just one Hatton".
The action within the ring reflected the emotion. The eventual winner was sent to the canvas by a significant blow flush on the chin in the early round, standing uncertainly to his feet on the count of eight.
But the traditional red attire of the fighter soon came forward again. Across the ring, the opponent - in rival City blue - was marked up soon, significant bruising appearing under his orbital area as the pair exchanged powerful shots.
The challenger, twenty-seven, connected with strong blows but Arthur, 34, matched the intensity with stinging uppercuts as the pace rarely dropped over twelve rounds.
The victor narrowly won the verdict with scoring tallies of draw, narrow lead and clearer margin, but each competitor were relentless and courageous, exactly what their hero Hatton embodied.
