British light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet unimpressive beginning to his career under recent management with a decision win over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's activity level likely gained him a judges' verdict in a tight ten-round contest at the Manchester venue.
But Parker found success, landing some telling individual punches in a fight where the techniques failed to mesh, with constant grabbing marring the action.
Two judges had it 96-94 for to the winner, with the final judge a even score.
"It wasn't my finest performance but what do champions do? They succeed," Buatsi said in the ring as he was faced boos from the crowd.
The British fighter returned to winning ways after his maiden career setback - an thrilling contest with his previous opponent in last winter - to claim a twentieth professional win.
Various analysts thought Parker, 31, should have been awarded the victory but the contender suffered the second defeat of his 28-fight career.
Buatsi Secures Victory in Dull Affair
His career development has plateaued in the past few years through promotional disputes and considerable time of lack of fights.
Once tipped as the future of UK boxing, he now stands trying to fulfil that early promise - maybe in what appears to be a ultimate opportunity - under recent support.
He started carefully, with neither fighter willing to be aggressive in a cagey opening few rounds.
The challenger, whose only previous defeat came at super middleweight against John Ryder in two years ago after breaking his hand mid-fight, was participating in his second bout at light heavyweight.
By the fight's midpoint, Parker had kept it close, causing problems for the favorite, who utilized a protective stance to barely take the better rounds.
The spectators' acceptance decreased amid regular grabbing, with the challenger falling to the floor multiple occasions during grappling.
Parker finished the stronger, but several stanzas were hard to judge. Nevertheless, ex-champion Carl Frampton - providing analysis for Dazn - had it strongly leaning for the challenger, scoring for Buatsi just a single round.
The victor moves on, but with the likes of hard hitter Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the path to championship success - judging by this showing - still appears challenging.
Hatton Homage Motivates All-Manchester Contest
In the supporting bout, Arthur beat Bradley Rea by split-decision in a outstanding Manchester vs Manchester contest to secure the European light-heavyweight belt.
The arena fell silent for a extremely emotional homage before the fight as a bell ceremony rang in remembrance of Manchester's own Hatton, who passed away at age 46 in recently.
It was the initial significant broadcast match card in the location since Hatton's passing. As the last bell faded, the quiet gave way to a roar of "only one Ricky Hatton".
The action during the bout equaled the emotion. The eventual winner was knocked down by a powerful punch squarely on the face in the second round, rising shakily to his footing on the referee's count.
But the Manchester United-red attire of the fighter soon came forward again. On the opposite side, the opponent - in opposing blue - was marked up quickly, significant bruising forming under his face as the pair exchanged powerful shots.
Rea, 27, landed power punches but the champion, thirty-four, responded in kind with powerful upward punches as the pace hardly diminished over 12 rounds.
Arthur barely secured the decision with scoring tallies of even score, close margin and wider gap, but both fighters were relentless and brave, everything their inspiration the legend stood for.
