UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet disappointing beginning to his career under fresh promotional backing with a decision win over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's punch output seemingly secured him a judges' verdict in a competitive ten-round bout at the Co-op Live Arena.
But Parker found success, connecting with powerful individual punches in a fight where the approaches never quite clicked, with constant grabbing disrupting the fight.
Two judges scored it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the remaining official a even score.
"It wasn't my finest performance but how do champions respond? They prevail," Buatsi said in the ring as he was faced boos from the spectators.
The Londoner got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an epic battle with Callum Smith in February - to secure a 20th career victory.
Several boxing experts believed Parker, 31, merited the victory but the contender suffered the second loss of his 28-match professional journey.
The Champion Earns Win in Uneventful Affair
His career development has stalled in recent years through contract problems and extended periods of lack of fights.
Once tipped as the next star of British boxing, he now stands trying to fulfil that early promise - possibly in what appears to be a final roll of the dice - under new promotional backing.
He started carefully, with both competitors willing to overcommit in a calculated early stages.
The challenger, whose sole prior loss came at super-middleweight against his former opponent in two years ago after damaging his hand mid-fight, was competing in only his second bout at the higher weight class.
By the middle rounds, Parker had kept it close, causing problems for the favorite, who worked behind a protective stance to narrowly win the better rounds.
The crowd's patience decreased amid constant clinching, with Parker falling to the floor several times during clinches.
Parker closed well, but many rounds were difficult to score. However, former world champion the boxing analyst - providing analysis for the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for the challenger, giving Buatsi just a single round.
Buatsi moves on, but with the caliber of power puncher Benavidez, and Russian star Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the path to championship success - judging by this showing - still appears challenging.
Hatton Memorial Inspires Manchester Derby Fight
In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur overcame Bradley Rea by close verdict in a excellent Manchester vs Manchester fight to capture the European light heavyweight championship.
The venue became quiet for a extremely emotional memorial before the fight as 10 bells sounded in memory of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who passed away at age 46 in last month.
It was the initial significant broadcast boxing event in the city since the passing of Hatton. As the concluding sound faded, the quiet became a roar of "only one Hatton".
The fighting within the ring reflected the sentiment. The eventual winner was floored by a powerful punch flush on the face in the second round, rising shakily to his footing on the eight count.
But the traditional red attire of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, Rea - in competitive blue - was damaged early, noticeable damage forming under his eye as the pair landed punishing blows.
The challenger, twenty-seven, connected with strong blows but Arthur, thirty-four, fought fire with fire with powerful upward punches as the action seldom decreased over twelve rounds.
The victor barely secured the result with official scores of draw, narrow lead and clearer margin, but the two athletes were relentless and full of heart, all the qualities their idol the legend represented.
