UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet underwhelming start to life under new promoters with a points victory over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic bronze medallist's work rate appeared to earn him a judges' verdict in a tight ten-round bout at the Co-op Live Arena.
But Parker landed significant shots, delivering effective single shots in a fight where the styles never quite clicked, with excessive holding disrupting the contest.
The scoring judges judged it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the remaining official a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my greatest display but what defines champions? They succeed," Buatsi said in the ring as he was greeted with boos from the spectators.
The British fighter returned to winning ways after his initial pro loss - an thrilling contest with his previous opponent in last winter - to claim a twentieth professional win.
Various analysts felt the challenger, thirty-one, merited the decision but the contender endured the second setback of his 28-match professional journey.
Buatsi Secures Win in Dull Affair
His career development has plateaued in recent times through contract problems and considerable time of inactivity.
Once tipped as the next star of the British fight scene, he now finds himself trying to fulfil that early promise - possibly in what appears to be a final roll of the dice - under new promotional backing.
He opened tentatively, with neither fighter ready to be aggressive in a cagey early stages.
The challenger, whose sole prior loss came at super middleweight against his former opponent in two years ago after breaking his hand during the bout, was participating in his second appearance at light heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, the underdog had made it competitive, making life awkward for Buatsi, who utilized a tight guard to edge the more effective periods.
The spectators' acceptance diminished because of frequent holding, with Parker slipping to the canvas several times during close exchanges.
The underdog closed well, but many rounds were challenging to assess. Nevertheless, former world champion Carl Frampton - commentating on the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for the challenger, giving Buatsi just a single round.
The victor advances, but with the presence of power puncher Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol ruling the division, the journey to titles - based on this performance - still looks steep.
Ricky Hatton Memorial Motivates Manchester Derby Battle
In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur beat Rea by close verdict in a outstanding Manchester vs Manchester contest to win the European light-heavyweight championship.
The arena grew hushed for a profoundly moving homage before the fight as ten bells rang in honor of local hero Ricky Hatton, who died 46 years old in recently.
It was the initial significant broadcast match card in the city since Hatton's passing. As the concluding sound ended, the silence transitioned to a roar of "there's just one Hatton".
The fighting inside the ropes matched the feeling. The eventual winner was sent to the canvas by a significant blow squarely on the jaw in the second round, rising shakily to his footing on the count of eight.
But the Manchester United-red attire of Arthur soon advanced again. From the other corner, Rea - in competitive blue - was marked up quickly, significant bruising appearing under his orbital area as the pair landed powerful shots.
Rea, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but Arthur, 34, matched the intensity with powerful upward punches as the intensity hardly diminished over twelve rounds.
Arthur barely secured the decision with scoring tallies of draw, narrow lead and 115-112, but the two athletes were persistent and courageous, all the qualities their hero the legend embodied.
