UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet disappointing start to life under fresh promotional backing with a decision win over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic bronze medallist's activity level appeared to earn him a judges' verdict in a tight ten-round contest at the Manchester venue.
But Parker had his moments, connecting with powerful individual punches in a match where the styles never quite clicked, with constant grabbing spoiling the fight.
The scoring judges had it 96-94 to the winner, with the third a even score.
"It wasn't my finest showing but how do champions respond? They prevail," Buatsi stated in the ring as he was met by boos from the spectators.
The British fighter bounced back after his first professional defeat - an epic battle with Callum Smith in last winter - to secure a 20th pro success.
Several boxing experts felt the challenger, thirty-one, merited the win but the British boxer endured the second defeat of his 28-bout career.
Buatsi Secures Win in Slow Match
His career development has slowed in recent times through promotional disputes and long spells of lack of fights.
Previously predicted as the rising talent of the British fight scene, he now stands trying to fulfil that early promise - maybe in what appears to be a ultimate opportunity - under fresh management.
He began cautiously, with both competitors willing to overcommit in a tentative early stages.
Parker, whose sole prior loss came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in 2022 after damaging his hand during the bout, was competing in only his second fight at light-heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, the underdog had kept it close, making life awkward for Buatsi, who operated with a solid defense to narrowly win the better stanzas.
The spectators' acceptance decreased during frequent holding, with the challenger going down multiple occasions during grappling.
Parker finished the stronger, but many rounds were difficult to score. Although, ex-champion Carl Frampton - working with Dazn - had it strongly leaning for Parker, awarding Buatsi just a single round.
Buatsi progresses, but with the presence of hard hitter Benavidez, and Russian champion Bivol dominating the weight class, the path to championship success - on this evidence - still appears challenging.
Hatton Memorial Motivates Local Rivalry Battle
In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur overcame Rea by close verdict in a excellent all-Manchester fight to win the European light-heavyweight title.
The venue grew hushed for a extremely emotional tribute prior to the bout as 10 bells tolled in remembrance of the city's native Ricky Hatton, who succumbed at age 46 in September.
It was the first major televised fight night in the urban center since Hatton's passing. As the final chime faded, the quiet gave way to a chant of "there's only one Hatton".
The fighting inside the ropes reflected the emotion. The eventual winner was floored by a left hook directly to the face in the early round, standing uncertainly to his position on the count of eight.
But the Manchester United-red shorts of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, Rea - in opposing blue - was injured quickly, noticeable damage developing under his eye as the pair traded hard punches.
Rea, 27, connected with strong blows but Arthur, thirty-four, responded in kind with stinging uppercuts as the action seldom decreased over the full distance.
The victor barely secured the result with scoring tallies of 114-114, narrow lead and 115-112, but each competitor were determined and courageous, everything their inspiration the legend embodied.
