British light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet unimpressive start to his career under fresh promotional backing with a decision win over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic bronze medallist's punch output likely gained him a judges' verdict in a competitive 10-round fight at the Manchester venue.
But Parker landed significant shots, connecting with powerful individual punches in a contest where the approaches failed to mesh, with excessive holding disrupting the contest.
The officials judged it 96-94 for to Buatsi, with the third a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my best display but what defines champions? They succeed," the victor said in the arena as he was met by negative reactions from the spectators.
The British fighter bounced back after his initial pro loss - an epic battle with Callum Smith in last winter - to secure a 20th pro success.
Several boxing experts felt Parker, 31, deserved the win but the British boxer experienced the second loss of his 28-fight professional journey.
Buatsi Secures Triumph in Uneventful Affair
The fighter's advancement has slowed in the past few years through contract problems and long spells of inactivity.
Previously predicted as the rising talent of UK boxing, he now finds himself trying to achieve expectations - maybe in what seems like a final roll of the dice - under new promotional backing.
He started carefully, with both competitors prepared to take risks in a calculated opening few rounds.
The challenger, whose sole prior loss came at super middleweight against John Ryder in 2022 after damaging his hand during the bout, was making just his second appearance at light heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, Parker had made it competitive, making life awkward for Buatsi, who worked behind a solid defense to edge the better rounds.
The spectators' acceptance decreased amid constant clinching, with Parker falling to the floor multiple occasions during clinches.
Parker ended stronger, but multiple periods were difficult to score. However, ex-champion the boxing analyst - working with the broadcast network - had it significantly in favor for the challenger, giving Buatsi just only one stanza.
Buatsi advances, but with the presence of power puncher Benavidez, and Russian star Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the road to world glory - based on this performance - still looks steep.
Ricky Hatton Homage Inspires Local Rivalry Battle
In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur defeated Rea by close verdict in a terrific local rivalry fight to win the European light-heavyweight belt.
The venue grew hushed for a profoundly moving memorial before the fight as ten bells rang in memory of Manchester's own Hatton, who succumbed aged 46 in last month.
It was the initial significant broadcast fight night in the urban center since Hatton's passing. As the last bell ended, the stillness transitioned to a chant of "there's only one Ricky Hatton".
The fighting inside the ropes matched the emotion. The eventual winner was sent to the canvas by a significant blow squarely on the chin in the early round, getting up unsteadily to his footing on the eight count.
But the red-colored equipment of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. From the other corner, the opponent - in opposing blue - was injured quickly, noticeable damage forming under his eye as the fighters traded punishing blows.
Rea, twenty-seven, landed power punches but Arthur, 34, matched the intensity with effective uppercuts as the intensity hardly diminished over the full distance.
Arthur barely secured the result with scoring tallies of draw, narrow lead and 115-112, but both fighters were persistent and brave, exactly what their hero Hatton represented.
