UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet unimpressive beginning to life under fresh promotional backing with a points victory over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's work rate appeared to earn him a split decision in a close 10-round contest at the Manchester venue.
But Parker landed significant shots, connecting with powerful clean blows in a match where the techniques never quite clicked, with frequent clinching disrupting the action.
The scoring judges scored it 96-94 in favor to Buatsi, with the third a even score.
"It wasn't my greatest showing but how do champions respond? They succeed," Buatsi said in the ringside as he was greeted with negative reactions from the spectators.
The British fighter bounced back after his first professional defeat - an thrilling contest with his previous opponent in last winter - to earn a twentieth professional win.
Several boxing experts thought the challenger, 31, merited the victory but the contender suffered the second loss of his 28-bout career.
Buatsi Secures Triumph in Dull Encounter
The fighter's advancement has plateaued in the past few years through contract problems and extended periods of inactivity.
Previously predicted as the future of UK boxing, he now finds himself trying to fulfil that early promise - maybe in what seems like a ultimate opportunity - under recent support.
He opened tentatively, with neither fighter ready to overcommit in a tentative early stages.
The challenger, whose sole prior loss came at super middleweight against John Ryder in 2022 after suffering a hand injury in the contest, was making just his second appearance at light heavyweight.
By the fight's midpoint, Parker had kept it close, making life awkward for Buatsi, who worked behind a tight guard to barely take the more effective stanzas.
The audience's tolerance wore thin amid frequent holding, with the challenger slipping to the canvas multiple occasions during clinches.
The underdog finished the stronger, but multiple periods were hard to judge. However, previous titleholder Carl Frampton - working with Dazn - had it strongly leaning for Parker, awarding Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi moves on, but with the presence of power puncher Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the road to world glory - based on this performance - still appears challenging.
Ricky Hatton Homage Fuels Manchester Derby Contest
In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by split-decision in a excellent Manchester vs Manchester fight to secure the European light-heavyweight championship.
The venue fell silent for a deeply poignant homage prior to the bout as a bell ceremony rang in memory of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who passed away 46 years old in recently.
It was the initial significant broadcast match card in the location since the passing of Hatton. As the final chime faded, the stillness transitioned to a shout of "there's only one Ricky Hatton".
The competition inside the ropes equaled the sentiment. Arthur was knocked down by a significant blow flush on the jaw in the early round, standing uncertainly to his position on the referee's count.
But the red-colored attire of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, the opponent - in competitive blue - was damaged soon, heavy swelling appearing under his orbital area as the fighters exchanged powerful shots.
Rea, twenty-seven, landed power punches but the champion, 34, matched the intensity with powerful upward punches as the action seldom decreased over twelve rounds.
The victor barely secured the verdict with official scores of 114-114, narrow lead and clearer margin, but the two athletes were persistent and brave, exactly what their inspiration the legend represented.
