UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet disappointing start to his career under recent management with a decision win over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's punch output appeared to earn him a split decision in a close 10-round contest at the boxing arena.
But Parker had his moments, connecting with powerful clean blows in a fight where the approaches didn't complement each other, with frequent clinching spoiling the fight.
Two judges scored it 96-94 in favor to Buatsi, with the final judge a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my finest showing but what do champions do? They succeed," Buatsi stated in the arena as he was met by negative reactions from the spectators.
The British fighter got back to winning after his maiden career setback - an thrilling contest with Callum Smith in February - to earn a twentieth professional win.
Various analysts felt Parker, 31, deserved the victory but the Derbyshire fighter experienced the second defeat of his 28-match career.
Buatsi Earns Triumph in Uneventful Encounter
His career development has stalled in recent years through promotional disputes and considerable time of inactivity.
Previously predicted as the rising talent of British boxing, he now is positioned trying to achieve expectations - possibly in what feels like a final roll of the dice - under fresh management.
He started carefully, with the two boxers willing to overcommit in a calculated opening few rounds.
Parker, whose single earlier setback came at the lower weight class against John Ryder in two years ago after damaging his hand mid-fight, was making just his second appearance at light heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, Parker had stayed in contention, creating difficulties for the favorite, who operated with a tight guard to edge the better rounds.
The crowd's patience decreased during constant clinching, with the challenger falling to the floor several times during clinches.
The underdog finished the stronger, but multiple periods were hard to judge. Although, ex-champion the boxing analyst - providing analysis for the broadcast network - had it strongly leaning for Parker, giving Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi advances, but with the presence of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol ruling the division, the path to championship success - based on this performance - still looks steep.
Ricky Hatton Tribute Fuels All-Manchester Contest
In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur beat Bradley Rea by split-decision in a terrific all-Manchester battle to secure the European light-heavyweight title.
The venue fell silent for a deeply poignant tribute before the fight as 10 bells rang in remembrance of Manchester's own Hatton, who passed away aged 46 in last month.
It was the initial significant broadcast match card in the location since Hatton's passing. As the final chime faded, the stillness gave way to a chant of "only one Hatton".
The fighting inside the ropes equaled the feeling. The eventual winner was floored by a significant blow flush on the chin in the initial stage, getting up unsteadily to his footing on the count of eight.
But the Manchester United-red attire of the fighter soon came forward again. Across the ring, the opponent - in competitive blue - was marked up quickly, significant bruising forming under his eye as the duo traded hard punches.
The challenger, twenty-seven, connected with strong blows but Arthur, thirty-four, matched the intensity with powerful upward punches as the pace seldom decreased over the full distance.
Arthur barely secured the result with scoring tallies of draw, close margin and wider gap, but each competitor were determined and full of heart, everything their idol the legend stood for.
