British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet unimpressive debut to his career under fresh promotional backing with a points victory over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic bronze medallist's punch output likely gained him a split decision in a tight ten-round bout at the Manchester venue.
But Parker had his moments, landing some telling clean blows in a contest where the techniques never quite clicked, with frequent clinching spoiling the fight.
The officials had it 96-94 for to Buatsi, with the third a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my greatest performance but what do champions do? They succeed," Buatsi commented in the arena as he was faced disapproval from the crowd.
The Londoner returned to winning ways after his maiden career setback - an memorable fight with his previous opponent in last winter - to claim a 20th pro success.
Several boxing experts felt the challenger, thirty-one, should have been awarded the win but the contender endured the second loss of his 28-match career.
Buatsi Secures Victory in Slow Affair
Buatsi's progress has slowed in recent times through management issues and extended periods of inactivity.
Previously predicted as the future of UK boxing, he now finds himself trying to realize his potential - perhaps in what feels like a final roll of the dice - under new promotional backing.
He opened tentatively, with both competitors willing to be aggressive in a calculated opening few rounds.
The challenger, whose only previous defeat came at the lower weight class against John Ryder in two years ago after damaging his hand mid-fight, was competing in only his second appearance at the higher weight class.
By the middle rounds, the underdog had stayed in contention, causing problems for the favorite, who utilized a protective stance to edge the better stanzas.
The audience's tolerance diminished because of constant clinching, with Parker going down various instances during close exchanges.
The underdog ended stronger, but multiple periods were hard to judge. Although, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - working with Dazn - had it significantly in favor for Parker, awarding Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi advances, but with the caliber of hard hitter Benavidez, and Russian star Bivol ruling the division, the journey to titles - judging by this showing - still looks steep.
Ricky Hatton Tribute Motivates Local Rivalry Contest
In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur beat Bradley Rea by close verdict in a terrific Manchester vs Manchester fight to capture the continental championship.
The stadium grew hushed for a deeply poignant memorial prior to the bout as ten bells rang in honor of local hero Hatton, who passed away aged 46 in recently.
It was the initial significant broadcast boxing event in the city since Hatton's death. As the last bell disappeared, the silence gave way to a chant of "there's only one Hatton".
The competition inside the ropes reflected the emotion. Arthur was sent to the canvas by a significant blow directly to the chin in the second round, rising shakily to his feet on the referee's count.
But the traditional red attire of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, Rea - in competitive blue - was damaged early, significant bruising appearing under his orbital area as the fighters landed powerful shots.
Rea, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but the champion, 34, matched the intensity with effective uppercuts as the intensity hardly diminished over the full distance.
Arthur narrowly won the decision with official scores of draw, narrow lead and clearer margin, but the two athletes were relentless and courageous, exactly what their inspiration the legend represented.
