UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet underwhelming debut to his career under new promoters with a decision win over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's activity level appeared to earn him a split decision in a close 10-round fight at the Manchester venue.
But Parker found success, landing some telling single shots in a fight where the techniques never quite clicked, with excessive holding marring the contest.
The officials scored it 96-94 to the winner, with the final judge a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my finest display but what do champions do? They succeed," Buatsi said in the ringside as he was met by negative reactions from the crowd.
The British fighter got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an thrilling contest with Callum Smith in last winter - to claim a 20th career victory.
Some ringside observers thought Parker, 31, merited the victory but the contender experienced the second defeat of his 28-match professional journey.
Buatsi Claims Victory in Slow Match
His career development has plateaued in recent years through promotional disputes and considerable time of inactivity.
Once tipped as the future of British boxing, he now is positioned trying to fulfil that early promise - maybe in what feels like a final roll of the dice - under fresh management.
He opened tentatively, with both competitors willing to overcommit in a cagey early stages.
The challenger, whose only previous defeat came at super middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after breaking his hand mid-fight, was making just his second bout at light-heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, Parker had kept it close, creating difficulties for Buatsi, who utilized a protective stance to edge the more effective rounds.
The audience's tolerance wore thin during frequent holding, with Parker going down various instances during clinches.
The underdog finished the stronger, but many rounds were challenging to assess. However, ex-champion the boxing analyst - working with the broadcast network - had it significantly in favor for the challenger, awarding Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi advances, but with the caliber of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Bivol leading the category, the path to championship success - on this evidence - still seems difficult.
Ricky Hatton Tribute Fuels Local Rivalry Battle
In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur beat Bradley Rea by close verdict in a terrific Manchester vs Manchester contest to capture the continental title.
The arena became quiet for a deeply poignant tribute prior to the bout as ten bells rang in remembrance of the city's native Hatton, who succumbed aged 46 in recently.
It was the first major televised fight night in the urban center since Hatton's death. As the final chime faded, the quiet became a chant of "there's only one Ricky Hatton".
The action within the ring reflected the feeling. The eventual winner was knocked down by a left hook squarely on the jaw in the early round, getting up unsteadily to his footing on the referee's count.
But the Manchester United-red attire of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. From the other corner, the opponent - in opposing blue - was injured soon, significant bruising developing under his orbital area as the duo exchanged hard punches.
Rea, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but the champion, thirty-four, responded in kind with powerful upward punches as the action hardly diminished over 12 rounds.
Arthur barely secured the verdict with scoring tallies of 114-114, 115-113 and clearer margin, but each competitor were determined and courageous, all the qualities their hero Hatton stood for.
