UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet disappointing debut to life under fresh promotional backing with a decision win over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's activity level likely gained him a majority decision in a close ten-round bout at the Co-op Live Arena.
But Parker had his moments, delivering effective individual punches in a match where the approaches failed to mesh, with frequent clinching disrupting the fight.
The scoring judges scored it 96-94 to the winner, with the remaining official a even score.
"It wasn't my greatest display but what defines champions? They win," Buatsi said in the ringside as he was faced boos from the crowd.
The Londoner bounced back after his first professional defeat - an thrilling contest with his previous opponent in February - to earn a 20th career victory.
Some ringside observers thought Parker, 31, deserved the victory but the Derbyshire fighter suffered the second defeat of his 28-bout career.
Buatsi Claims Triumph in Dull Match
His career development has plateaued in recent times through promotional disputes and long spells of inactivity.
Once tipped as the next star of British boxing, he now stands trying to fulfil that early promise - possibly in what feels like a last chance - under fresh management.
He began cautiously, with neither fighter prepared to be aggressive in a tentative opening few rounds.
The challenger, whose only previous defeat came at the lower weight class against John Ryder in 2022 after suffering a hand injury mid-fight, was participating in his second fight at light heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, the underdog had stayed in contention, making life awkward for the favorite, who utilized a solid defense to narrowly win the better stanzas.
The audience's tolerance decreased amid frequent holding, with the challenger falling to the floor several times during close exchanges.
The underdog finished the stronger, but several stanzas were hard to judge. Nevertheless, ex-champion the boxing analyst - working with the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for the challenger, scoring for Buatsi just a single round.
Buatsi moves on, but with the likes of power puncher Benavidez, and Russian star Bivol leading the category, the path to championship success - based on this performance - still seems difficult.
Hatton Memorial Inspires Manchester Derby Fight
In the secondary fight, Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by close verdict in a outstanding Manchester vs Manchester battle to win the European light heavyweight championship.
The arena fell silent for a profoundly moving homage before the fight as a bell ceremony rang in remembrance of local hero Hatton, who died 46 years old 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 transitioned to a shout of "there's just one Ricky Hatton".
The action inside the ropes equaled the feeling. Arthur was sent to the canvas by a significant blow flush on the face in the second round, getting up unsteadily to his feet on the referee's count.
But the red-colored shorts of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. On the opposite side, the opponent - in opposing blue - was damaged early, significant bruising developing under his orbital area as the pair traded hard punches.
The challenger, 27, connected with strong blows but Arthur, 34, responded in kind with stinging uppercuts as the intensity rarely dropped over 12 rounds.
The victor barely secured the decision with judges scorecards of draw, close margin and clearer margin, but each competitor were persistent and full of heart, everything their inspiration Hatton embodied.
