UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet underwhelming debut to life under new promoters with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic bronze medallist's punch output appeared to earn him a majority decision in a close ten-round contest at the boxing arena.
But the challenger had his moments, connecting with powerful individual punches in a contest where the styles didn't complement each other, with constant grabbing spoiling the contest.
Two judges scored it 96-94 in favor to Buatsi, with the remaining official a even score.
"It wasn't my best display but how do champions respond? They succeed," the victor said in the arena as he was greeted with boos from the audience.
The Londoner bounced back after his maiden career setback - an epic battle with Callum Smith in last winter - to secure a twentieth professional win.
Some ringside observers thought Parker, thirty-one, deserved the win but the Derbyshire fighter suffered the second defeat of his 28-fight career.
The Champion Earns Triumph in Dull Affair
The fighter's advancement has stalled in recent times through management issues and extended periods of inactivity.
Once tipped as the rising talent of the British fight scene, he now stands trying to realize his potential - maybe in what feels like a final roll of the dice - under recent support.
He began cautiously, with both competitors ready to overcommit in a cagey early stages.
The challenger, whose single earlier setback came at super middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after suffering a hand injury in the contest, was making just his second appearance at the higher weight class.
By the middle rounds, the underdog had kept it close, causing problems for Buatsi, who operated with a protective stance to barely take the better periods.
The audience's tolerance decreased because of constant clinching, with Parker slipping to the canvas several times during close exchanges.
Parker finished the stronger, but several stanzas were hard to judge. Although, former world champion the boxing analyst - providing analysis for the broadcast network - had it strongly leaning for Parker, giving Buatsi just a single round.
The victor advances, but with the presence of power puncher Benavidez, and Russian star Bivol ruling the division, the path to championship success - on this evidence - still seems difficult.
Ricky Hatton Memorial Fuels All-Manchester Contest
In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur beat Bradley Rea by divided decision in a excellent all-Manchester battle to capture the continental belt.
The arena became quiet for a profoundly moving homage ahead of the contest as ten bells rang in memory of local hero Ricky Hatton, who succumbed 46 years old in September.
It was the premier televised fight night in the urban center since the passing of Hatton. As the concluding sound faded, the quiet became a roar of "there's just one Hatton".
The competition inside the ropes matched the feeling. Arthur was sent to the canvas by a left hook directly to the jaw in the initial stage, getting up unsteadily to his feet on the referee's count.
But the traditional red shorts of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. From the other corner, the opponent - in rival City blue - was marked up soon, significant bruising forming under his orbital area as the duo traded hard punches.
Rea, twenty-seven, connected with strong blows but Arthur, 34, matched the intensity with effective uppercuts as the pace hardly diminished over 12 rounds.
Arthur edged the verdict with judges scorecards of draw, close margin and wider gap, but the two athletes were relentless and full of heart, exactly what their hero the legend stood for.
