UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet underwhelming start to his career under recent management with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic bronze medallist's activity level likely gained him a majority decision in a competitive 10-round contest at the Co-op Live Arena.
But the challenger had his moments, connecting with powerful single shots in a match where the approaches didn't complement each other, with excessive holding marring the fight.
The officials judged it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the third a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my best showing but what defines champions? They win," the victor said in the ringside as he was met by boos from the audience.
The British fighter got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an memorable fight with his previous opponent in February - to earn a 20th pro success.
Several boxing experts believed the challenger, thirty-one, deserved the win but the contender experienced the second defeat of his 28-match career.
The Champion Claims Victory in Uneventful Match
Buatsi's progress has stalled in the past few years through management issues and considerable time of inactivity.
Previously predicted as the future of the British fight scene, he now finds himself trying to fulfil that early promise - possibly in what feels like a final roll of the dice - under fresh management.
He began cautiously, with neither fighter ready to be aggressive in a calculated opening few rounds.
Parker, whose single earlier setback came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in two years ago after breaking his hand in the contest, was making just his second bout at light heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, the underdog had kept it close, creating difficulties for the favorite, who operated with a tight guard to edge the better periods.
The crowd's patience diminished during frequent holding, with Parker falling to the floor multiple occasions during close exchanges.
Parker finished the stronger, but several stanzas were hard to judge. However, former world champion Carl Frampton - working with the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for Parker, giving Buatsi just a single round.
Buatsi moves on, but with the caliber of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Russian star Bivol ruling the division, the path to championship success - on this evidence - still seems difficult.
Hatton Tribute Motivates All-Manchester Fight
In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur overcame Rea by divided decision in a excellent Manchester vs Manchester fight to capture the continental title.
The arena grew hushed for a extremely emotional homage ahead of the contest as 10 bells sounded in remembrance of the city's native Hatton, who succumbed at age 46 in recently.
It was the initial significant broadcast boxing event in the city since Hatton's passing. As the final chime faded, the stillness gave way to a roar of "there's only one Hatton".
The competition inside the ropes equaled the feeling. The eventual winner was knocked down by a left hook directly to the face in the early round, rising shakily to his position on the eight count.
But the Manchester United-red shorts of Arthur soon came forward again. Across the ring, the opponent - in opposing blue - was marked up early, significant bruising forming under his eye as the fighters exchanged punishing blows.
The challenger, 27, delivered effective strikes but the champion, 34, matched the intensity with powerful upward punches as the intensity seldom decreased over twelve rounds.
Arthur edged the verdict with scoring tallies of 114-114, 115-113 and wider gap, but both fighters were relentless and full of heart, all the qualities their idol the legend represented.
