UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet underwhelming beginning to life under fresh promotional backing with a decision win over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's work rate likely gained him a judges' verdict in a competitive 10-round bout at the Manchester venue.
But Parker found success, landing some telling clean blows in a fight where the techniques never quite clicked, with frequent clinching marring the action.
Two judges judged it 96-94 for to Buatsi, with the third a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my greatest showing but what defines champions? They succeed," Buatsi said in the ring as he was greeted with disapproval from the audience.
The Londoner returned to winning ways after his first professional defeat - an thrilling contest with his previous opponent in February - to earn a twentieth professional win.
Various analysts thought Parker, thirty-one, merited the win but the contender experienced the second loss of his 28-bout career.
Buatsi Claims Win in Uneventful Affair
Buatsi's progress has stalled in the past few years through promotional disputes and extended periods of inactivity.
Once tipped as the next star of the British fight scene, he now finds himself trying to realize his potential - perhaps in what feels like a final roll of the dice - under fresh management.
He began cautiously, with neither fighter willing to be aggressive in a calculated initial rounds.
The challenger, whose sole prior loss came at super middleweight against John Ryder in two years ago after suffering a hand injury in the contest, was participating in his second appearance at light-heavyweight.
By the fight's midpoint, the underdog had stayed in contention, making life awkward for Buatsi, who operated with a tight guard to barely take the cleaner rounds.
The audience's tolerance wore thin because of frequent holding, with Parker slipping to the canvas various instances during close exchanges.
The underdog finished the stronger, but many rounds were hard to judge. Although, former world champion Carl Frampton - providing analysis for Dazn - had it strongly leaning for Parker, scoring for Buatsi just only one stanza.
The victor advances, but with the presence of hard hitter Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the journey to titles - judging by this showing - still seems difficult.
Hatton Memorial Fuels All-Manchester Fight
In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by divided decision in a outstanding local rivalry fight to win the European light-heavyweight championship.
The venue grew hushed for a deeply poignant tribute prior to the bout as 10 bells sounded in honor of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who passed away at age 46 in recently.
It was the premier televised boxing event in the location since Hatton's passing. As the concluding sound faded, the stillness transitioned to a roar of "there's only one Ricky Hatton".
The action inside the ropes equaled the sentiment. The eventual winner was sent to the canvas by a powerful punch directly to the face in the initial stage, rising shakily to his position on the referee's count.
But the traditional red attire of Arthur soon came forward again. Across the ring, Rea - in rival City blue - was injured quickly, significant bruising developing under his orbital area as the duo traded hard punches.
Rea, 27, landed power punches but Arthur, thirty-four, fought fire with fire with effective uppercuts as the action hardly diminished over the full distance.
Arthur edged the verdict with judges scorecards of draw, 115-113 and 115-112, but the two athletes were persistent and brave, all the qualities their idol Hatton embodied.
