UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet underwhelming debut to his career under new promoters with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic bronze medallist's work rate seemingly secured him a judges' verdict in a tight 10-round contest at the Co-op Live Arena.
But the challenger had his moments, landing some telling single shots in a match where the approaches never quite clicked, with constant grabbing disrupting the action.
The scoring judges scored it 96-94 for to Buatsi, with the final judge a 95-95.
"It wasn't my finest display but what do champions do? They succeed," Buatsi commented in the ringside as he was greeted with negative reactions from the audience.
The British fighter bounced back after his initial pro loss - an thrilling contest with his previous opponent in February - to secure a twentieth professional win.
Several boxing experts felt Parker, thirty-one, deserved the decision but the contender endured the second setback of his 28-fight career.
The Champion Secures Win in Dull Affair
His career development has plateaued in recent years through promotional disputes and considerable time of inactivity.
Previously predicted as the next star of the British fight scene, he now is positioned trying to achieve expectations - perhaps in what appears to be a ultimate opportunity - under fresh management.
He started carefully, with neither fighter ready to take risks in a calculated early stages.
The challenger, whose sole prior loss came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in 2022 after breaking his hand during the bout, was participating in his second bout at the higher weight class.
By the fight's midpoint, Parker had made it competitive, creating difficulties for Buatsi, who worked behind a tight guard to barely take the more effective periods.
The crowd's patience wore thin amid constant clinching, with Parker falling to the floor various instances during clinches.
The underdog finished the stronger, but several stanzas were challenging to assess. However, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - commentating on the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for the challenger, giving Buatsi just a single round.
The victor progresses, but with the likes of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol ruling the division, the path to championship success - based on this performance - still seems difficult.
Hatton Tribute Inspires Local Rivalry Battle
In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur beat Bradley Rea by close verdict in a excellent all-Manchester fight to win the continental title.
The stadium grew hushed for a deeply poignant homage before the fight as 10 bells rang in memory of the city's native Ricky Hatton, who died at age 46 in September.
It was the first major televised boxing event in the urban center since Hatton's passing. As the final chime disappeared, the silence transitioned to a shout of "there's only one Hatton".
The competition within the ring reflected the emotion. Arthur was floored by a left hook squarely on the jaw in the early round, getting up unsteadily to his feet on the referee's count.
But the traditional red equipment of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. On the opposite side, the opponent - in competitive blue - was damaged soon, significant bruising appearing under his orbital area as the pair exchanged punishing blows.
The challenger, twenty-seven, landed power punches but Arthur, thirty-four, responded in kind with powerful upward punches as the pace rarely dropped over 12 rounds.
The victor barely secured the decision with scoring tallies of 114-114, narrow lead and clearer margin, but both fighters were persistent and brave, everything their idol the legend represented.
