UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet unimpressive beginning to life under fresh promotional backing with a decision win over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's punch output appeared to earn him a majority decision in a close ten-round bout at the Manchester venue.
But Parker found success, connecting with powerful individual punches in a match where the styles never quite clicked, with excessive holding disrupting the action.
The scoring judges scored it 96-94 for to the winner, with the third a even score.
"It wasn't my best display but what do champions do? They prevail," the victor stated in the ring as he was faced boos from the audience.
The Londoner returned to winning ways after his first professional defeat - an epic battle with his previous opponent in last winter - to claim a 20th career victory.
Some ringside observers felt the challenger, 31, merited the decision but the Derbyshire fighter endured the second defeat of his 28-match career.
The Champion Secures Triumph in Uneventful Encounter
Buatsi's progress has stalled in the past few years through management issues and extended periods of inactivity.
Earlier forecast as the rising talent of British boxing, he now stands trying to realize his potential - possibly in what seems like a last chance - under recent support.
He began cautiously, with both competitors 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 during the bout, was participating in his second fight at light heavyweight.
By the middle rounds, Parker had made it competitive, making life awkward for the favorite, who utilized a tight guard to narrowly win the more effective rounds.
The crowd's patience decreased amid constant clinching, with the challenger falling to the floor various instances during grappling.
The underdog ended stronger, but multiple periods were challenging to assess. Although, ex-champion Carl Frampton - commentating on the broadcast network - had it significantly in favor for the challenger, scoring for Buatsi just only one stanza.
Buatsi moves on, but with the presence of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the road to world glory - judging by this showing - still seems difficult.
Ricky Hatton Memorial Motivates Local Rivalry Battle
In the co-main event, Arthur beat Rea by close verdict in a outstanding all-Manchester battle to secure the European light-heavyweight belt.
The stadium fell silent for a extremely emotional memorial ahead of the contest as 10 bells sounded in remembrance of the city's native Ricky Hatton, who died at age 46 in recently.
It was the initial significant broadcast boxing event in the city since Hatton's death. As the final chime faded, the quiet transitioned to a chant of "only one Ricky Hatton".
The fighting within the ring matched the feeling. Arthur was knocked down by a left hook directly to the chin in the early round, standing uncertainly to his footing on the count of eight.
But the red-colored equipment of Arthur soon came forward again. Across the ring, Rea - in opposing blue - was injured quickly, heavy swelling forming under his eye as the pair landed hard punches.
Rea, 27, landed power punches but the champion, thirty-four, responded in kind with powerful upward punches as the pace hardly diminished over the full distance.
Arthur edged the verdict with scoring tallies of even score, 115-113 and clearer margin, but the two athletes were determined and brave, all the qualities their inspiration Hatton represented.
