British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet unimpressive start to life under recent management with a decision win over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's punch output likely gained him a judges' verdict in a tight ten-round contest at the Manchester venue.
But Parker found success, landing some telling single shots in a contest where the styles didn't complement each other, with constant grabbing marring the action.
The officials judged it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the remaining official a even score.
"It wasn't my greatest performance but what defines champions? They win," the victor stated in the ringside as he was met by negative reactions from the spectators.
The Londoner returned to winning ways after his initial pro loss - an thrilling contest with his previous opponent in last winter - to claim a twentieth professional win.
Some ringside observers felt the challenger, thirty-one, should have been awarded the win but the Derbyshire fighter suffered the second setback of his 28-fight career.
Buatsi Earns Win in Slow Match
His career development has plateaued in recent years through management issues and considerable time of lack of fights.
Once tipped as the future of UK boxing, he now is positioned trying to achieve expectations - possibly in what seems like a last chance - under fresh management.
He started carefully, with neither fighter prepared to be aggressive in a tentative early stages.
Parker, whose single earlier setback came at super middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after breaking his hand during the bout, was competing in only his second fight at light-heavyweight.
By the middle rounds, Parker had stayed in contention, creating difficulties for Buatsi, who worked behind a protective stance to narrowly win the cleaner stanzas.
The crowd's patience diminished during constant clinching, with the challenger falling to the floor multiple occasions during grappling.
Parker ended stronger, but several stanzas were hard to judge. Nevertheless, former world champion Carl Frampton - providing analysis for Dazn - had it strongly leaning for the challenger, giving Buatsi just a single round.
Buatsi moves on, but with the presence of power puncher Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the road to world glory - on this evidence - still seems difficult.
Ricky Hatton Memorial Inspires All-Manchester Battle
In the secondary fight, Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by close verdict in a excellent all-Manchester contest to secure the European light heavyweight title.
The arena became quiet for a profoundly moving homage prior to the bout as 10 bells sounded in memory of the city's native Hatton, who passed away aged 46 in September.
It was the premier televised boxing event in the city since Hatton's passing. As the final chime faded, the silence gave way to a chant of "there's just one Ricky Hatton".
The competition inside the ropes matched the emotion. Arthur was sent to the canvas by a significant blow squarely on the face in the initial stage, rising shakily to his footing on the count of eight.
But the red-colored shorts of the fighter soon advanced again. On the opposite side, the opponent - in opposing blue - was injured soon, noticeable damage forming under his eye as the pair landed hard punches.
The challenger, 27, delivered effective strikes but Arthur, thirty-four, responded in kind with powerful upward punches as the action seldom decreased over 12 rounds.
Arthur barely secured the decision with scoring tallies of draw, 115-113 and 115-112, but both fighters were determined and brave, everything their idol the legend embodied.
