UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet disappointing beginning to life under new promoters with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's work rate appeared to earn him a majority decision in a close ten-round fight at the boxing arena.
But Parker landed significant shots, delivering effective single shots in a match where the techniques never quite clicked, with excessive holding marring the contest.
The scoring judges judged it 96-94 for to Buatsi, with the final judge a even score.
"It wasn't my greatest performance but how do champions respond? They succeed," Buatsi commented in the ring as he was faced negative reactions from the spectators.
The British fighter got back to winning after his maiden career setback - an epic battle with his previous opponent in February - to earn a twentieth professional win.
Several boxing experts believed the challenger, 31, deserved the victory but the British boxer suffered the second defeat of his 28-match professional journey.
Buatsi Secures Win in Slow Encounter
Buatsi's progress has stalled in recent times through contract problems and extended periods of lack of fights.
Previously predicted as the next star of UK boxing, he now finds himself trying to achieve expectations - maybe in what feels like a last chance - under recent support.
He opened tentatively, with the two boxers ready to take risks in a tentative opening few rounds.
The challenger, whose single earlier setback came at the lower weight class against John Ryder in 2022 after suffering a hand injury mid-fight, was participating in his second appearance at the higher weight class.
By the fight's midpoint, the underdog had stayed in contention, making life awkward for Buatsi, who operated with a solid defense to barely take the more effective stanzas.
The crowd's patience decreased during constant clinching, with Parker slipping to the canvas various instances during close exchanges.
The underdog finished the stronger, but several stanzas were difficult to score. However, former world champion Carl Frampton - working with Dazn - had it strongly leaning for the challenger, giving Buatsi just a single round.
The victor moves on, but with the caliber of hard hitter Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol ruling the division, the path to championship success - judging by this showing - still seems difficult.
Ricky Hatton Homage Fuels Manchester Derby Fight
In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur beat Bradley Rea by close verdict in a outstanding Manchester vs Manchester battle to capture the continental title.
The venue fell silent for a extremely emotional homage ahead of the contest as a bell ceremony rang in remembrance of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who succumbed 46 years old in recently.
It was the initial significant broadcast boxing event in the location since the passing of Hatton. As the last bell ended, the quiet became a chant of "only one Hatton".
The action within the ring equaled the sentiment. The eventual winner was sent to the canvas by a left hook flush on the chin in the early round, standing uncertainly to his feet on the referee's count.
But the Manchester United-red shorts of Arthur soon came forward again. From the other corner, Rea - in competitive blue - was marked up quickly, heavy swelling developing under his face as the duo exchanged powerful shots.
The challenger, twenty-seven, landed power punches but Arthur, thirty-four, responded in kind with powerful upward punches as the action rarely dropped over 12 rounds.
Arthur narrowly won the result with scoring tallies of even score, narrow lead and wider gap, but each competitor were relentless and brave, everything their idol the legend represented.
