UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet underwhelming start to life under recent management with a points victory over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's work rate likely gained him a split decision in a competitive 10-round contest at the Manchester venue.
But Parker found success, delivering effective clean blows in a fight where the techniques failed to mesh, with constant grabbing spoiling the fight.
The officials judged it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the third a even score.
"It wasn't my greatest showing but what do champions do? They win," the victor commented in the ringside as he was greeted with disapproval from the audience.
The Londoner returned to winning ways after his first professional defeat - an thrilling contest with Callum Smith in February - to earn a twentieth professional win.
Some ringside observers believed the challenger, thirty-one, deserved the decision but the British boxer experienced the second setback of his 28-match career.
Buatsi Claims Win in Dull Encounter
Buatsi's progress has slowed in recent times through management issues and considerable time of inactivity.
Earlier forecast as the future of the British fight scene, he now is positioned trying to realize his potential - possibly in what feels like a last chance - under recent support.
He opened tentatively, with both competitors ready to be aggressive in a calculated early stages.
The challenger, whose only previous defeat came at super middleweight against John Ryder in 2022 after damaging his hand in the contest, was competing in only his second appearance at the higher weight class.
By the middle rounds, the underdog had made it competitive, causing problems for Buatsi, who operated with a protective stance to narrowly win the cleaner periods.
The spectators' acceptance diminished during constant clinching, with the challenger slipping to the canvas various instances during clinches.
Parker ended stronger, but multiple periods were hard to judge. Although, ex-champion Carl Frampton - working with the broadcast network - had it strongly leaning for Parker, awarding Buatsi just a single round.
Buatsi moves on, but with the likes of power puncher Benavidez, and Russian champion Bivol dominating the weight class, the road to world glory - judging by this showing - still seems difficult.
Ricky Hatton Memorial Fuels Manchester Derby Battle
In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur beat Bradley Rea by split-decision in a terrific local rivalry battle to secure the European light heavyweight championship.
The arena fell silent for a deeply poignant homage ahead of the contest as ten bells tolled in remembrance of local hero Hatton, who passed away aged 46 in last month.
It was the first major televised match card in the urban center since Hatton's passing. As the last bell faded, the quiet transitioned to a roar of "only one Ricky Hatton".
The fighting inside the ropes matched the feeling. Arthur was sent to the canvas by a significant blow flush on the chin in the early round, getting up unsteadily to his footing on the referee's count.
But the red-colored attire of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, Rea - in competitive blue - was marked up early, noticeable damage developing under his eye as the pair exchanged powerful shots.
Rea, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but Arthur, thirty-four, responded in kind with effective uppercuts as the intensity hardly diminished over the full distance.
The victor narrowly won the result with official scores of even score, 115-113 and 115-112, but the two athletes were determined and brave, everything their hero Hatton represented.
