British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet underwhelming debut to his career under fresh promotional backing with a decision win over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's punch output likely gained him a majority decision in a tight ten-round contest at the Manchester venue.
But Parker landed significant shots, delivering effective individual punches in a contest where the approaches didn't complement each other, with frequent clinching marring the fight.
Two judges judged it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the remaining official a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my best display but what do champions do? They win," Buatsi stated in the ringside as he was faced boos from the crowd.
The British fighter got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an memorable fight with his previous opponent in February - to secure a 20th pro success.
Some ringside observers believed Parker, thirty-one, should have been awarded the victory but the contender experienced the second defeat of his 28-bout professional journey.
The Champion Claims Win in Slow Affair
Buatsi's progress has slowed in the past few years through management issues and long spells of lack of fights.
Once tipped as the rising talent of UK boxing, he now is positioned trying to fulfil that early promise - perhaps in what seems like a last chance - under recent support.
He opened tentatively, with the two boxers ready to overcommit in a calculated initial rounds.
The challenger, whose single earlier setback came at the lower weight class against his former opponent in two years ago after damaging his hand in the contest, was making just his second fight at light heavyweight.
By the middle rounds, Parker had kept it close, causing problems for the favorite, who worked behind a protective stance to edge the more effective rounds.
The audience's tolerance diminished amid regular grabbing, with Parker slipping to the canvas multiple occasions during clinches.
Parker closed well, but multiple periods were hard to judge. Although, former world champion Carl Frampton - working with the broadcast network - had it strongly leaning for the challenger, awarding Buatsi just only one stanza.
Buatsi advances, but with the presence of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Russian champion Bivol dominating the weight class, the road to world glory - on this evidence - still looks steep.
Ricky Hatton Homage Motivates Manchester Derby Fight
In the secondary fight, Arthur overcame Bradley Rea by split-decision in a terrific Manchester vs Manchester contest to capture the European light-heavyweight championship.
The venue fell silent for a deeply poignant tribute before the fight as a bell ceremony sounded in remembrance of local hero Ricky Hatton, who passed away 46 years old in last month.
It was the premier televised fight night in the location since Hatton's death. As the concluding sound faded, the silence became a chant of "there's only one Hatton".
The competition within the ring equaled the sentiment. Arthur was knocked down by a left hook flush on the face in the early round, getting up unsteadily to his footing on the referee's count.
But the red-colored equipment of the fighter soon came forward again. From the other corner, Rea - in competitive blue - was injured quickly, noticeable damage forming under his orbital area as the fighters traded hard punches.
Rea, twenty-seven, landed power punches but the champion, 34, responded in kind with effective uppercuts as the intensity hardly diminished over 12 rounds.
Arthur barely secured the decision with judges scorecards of draw, 115-113 and clearer margin, but both fighters were relentless and brave, everything their idol Hatton embodied.
