British light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet unimpressive start to life under recent management with a decision win over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic bronze medallist's punch output seemingly secured him a judges' verdict in a close 10-round contest at the Manchester venue.
But Parker had his moments, delivering effective individual punches in a match where the styles never quite clicked, with constant grabbing disrupting the fight.
The scoring judges scored it 96-94 in favor to Buatsi, with the final judge a even score.
"It wasn't my best showing but what defines champions? They succeed," the victor commented in the arena as he was met by boos from the crowd.
The British fighter bounced back after his maiden career setback - an memorable fight with his previous opponent in last winter - to secure a 20th career victory.
Some ringside observers believed Parker, 31, deserved the win but the Derbyshire fighter experienced the second loss of his 28-bout career.
The Champion Secures Win in Dull Match
His career development has stalled in the past few years through contract problems and long spells of lack of fights.
Previously predicted as the next star of the British fight scene, he now finds himself trying to realize his potential - perhaps in what seems like a last chance - under recent support.
He opened tentatively, with both competitors prepared to overcommit in a cagey early stages.
Parker, whose only previous defeat came at super-middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after suffering a hand injury during the bout, was making just his second appearance at light heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, the underdog had stayed in contention, making life awkward for the favorite, who operated with a solid defense to barely take the cleaner periods.
The spectators' acceptance diminished during regular grabbing, with Parker going down various instances during close exchanges.
Parker closed well, but many rounds were challenging to assess. Although, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - working with Dazn - had it particularly wide for Parker, scoring for Buatsi just a single round.
Buatsi advances, but with the presence of hard hitter Benavidez, and Russian star Dmitry Bivol ruling the division, the path to championship success - on this evidence - still appears challenging.
Hatton Homage Inspires Local Rivalry Battle
In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur overcame Bradley Rea by close verdict in a outstanding Manchester vs Manchester contest to win the European light-heavyweight title.
The venue became quiet for a extremely emotional tribute prior to the bout as ten bells rang in memory of the city's native Ricky Hatton, who died at age 46 in recently.
It was the initial significant broadcast fight night in the location since Hatton's death. As the last bell disappeared, the stillness became a roar of "only one Ricky Hatton".
The competition during the bout reflected the sentiment. The eventual winner was floored by a powerful punch flush on the face in the early round, rising shakily to his footing on the referee's count.
But the red-colored attire of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. On the opposite side, the opponent - in rival City blue - was damaged quickly, noticeable damage forming under his face as the duo landed punishing blows.
Rea, 27, connected with strong blows but Arthur, thirty-four, matched the intensity with effective uppercuts as the pace hardly diminished over 12 rounds.
Arthur narrowly won the result with judges scorecards of draw, close margin and 115-112, but both fighters were persistent and courageous, all the qualities their hero the legend stood for.
