UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet disappointing start to his career under recent management with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic bronze medallist's work rate appeared to earn him a majority decision in a close ten-round contest at the Manchester venue.
But the challenger had his moments, connecting with powerful clean blows in a match where the styles didn't complement each other, with constant grabbing spoiling the fight.
The officials had it 96-94 to the winner, with the final judge a even score.
"It wasn't my finest display but what defines champions? They prevail," Buatsi commented in the ringside as he was faced disapproval from the spectators.
The British fighter got back to winning after his maiden career setback - an epic battle with Callum Smith in February - to secure a twentieth professional win.
Some ringside observers believed Parker, 31, merited the victory but the Derbyshire fighter suffered the second loss of his 28-bout professional journey.
The Champion Claims Win in Slow Encounter
Buatsi's progress has slowed in recent times through promotional disputes and long spells of lack of fights.
Previously predicted as the rising talent of UK boxing, he now is positioned trying to achieve expectations - perhaps in what feels like a ultimate opportunity - under new promotional backing.
He started carefully, with neither fighter willing to be aggressive in a cagey initial rounds.
The challenger, whose single earlier setback came at the lower weight class against John Ryder in two years ago after damaging his hand in the contest, was competing in only his second fight at light-heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, the underdog had stayed in contention, making life awkward for Buatsi, who utilized a protective stance to barely take the more effective periods.
The spectators' acceptance decreased amid regular grabbing, with the challenger falling to the floor several times during grappling.
Parker finished the stronger, but multiple periods were hard to judge. Nevertheless, ex-champion Carl Frampton - commentating on Dazn - had it particularly wide for Parker, awarding Buatsi just only one stanza.
The victor advances, but with the caliber of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Bivol leading the category, the journey to titles - on this evidence - still appears challenging.
Hatton Memorial Inspires Local Rivalry Contest
In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur overcame Bradley Rea by split-decision in a terrific local rivalry contest to secure the European light-heavyweight championship.
The arena became quiet for a deeply poignant memorial ahead of the contest as 10 bells tolled in memory of the city's native Hatton, who died aged 46 in September.
It was the premier televised boxing event in the city since Hatton's passing. As the last bell faded, the silence transitioned to a chant of "there's only one Hatton".
The action inside the ropes equaled the feeling. The eventual winner was sent to the canvas by a powerful punch directly to the jaw in the initial stage, getting up unsteadily to his footing on the count of eight.
But the Manchester United-red shorts of the fighter soon came forward again. Across the ring, Rea - in competitive blue - was marked up soon, significant bruising forming under his eye as the duo landed powerful shots.
The challenger, 27, connected with strong blows but the champion, thirty-four, matched the intensity with stinging uppercuts as the pace hardly diminished over 12 rounds.
Arthur narrowly won the verdict with scoring tallies of draw, 115-113 and clearer margin, but both fighters were persistent and courageous, exactly what their idol the legend embodied.
