British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet underwhelming beginning to his career under recent management with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's work rate likely gained him a majority decision in a close ten-round fight at the Manchester venue.
But the challenger found success, connecting with powerful single shots in a match where the approaches never quite clicked, with excessive holding disrupting the contest.
Two judges judged it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the third a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my best display but what defines champions? They prevail," the victor said in the arena as he was met by boos from the audience.
The Londoner bounced back after his initial pro loss - an epic battle with his previous opponent in last winter - to secure a 20th career victory.
Various analysts believed the challenger, thirty-one, deserved the win but the contender experienced the second loss of his 28-bout career.
The Champion Secures Win in Uneventful Encounter
Buatsi's progress has plateaued in the past few years through contract problems and considerable time of inactivity.
Earlier forecast as the next star of the British fight scene, he now is positioned trying to achieve expectations - perhaps in what feels like a final roll of the dice - under new promotional backing.
He started carefully, with neither fighter willing to take risks in a calculated opening few rounds.
Parker, whose single earlier setback came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in two years ago after damaging his hand mid-fight, was competing in only his second bout at light-heavyweight.
By the fight's midpoint, Parker had kept it close, creating difficulties for the favorite, who worked behind a solid defense to narrowly win the better periods.
The audience's tolerance decreased because of constant clinching, with the challenger going down various instances during grappling.
The underdog ended stronger, but many rounds were hard to judge. Although, former world champion Carl Frampton - commentating on Dazn - had it particularly wide for the challenger, giving Buatsi just a single round.
Buatsi advances, but with the caliber of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the road to world glory - based on this performance - still appears challenging.
Hatton Tribute Inspires All-Manchester Fight
In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur overcame Bradley Rea by split-decision in a outstanding Manchester vs Manchester battle to secure the continental championship.
The arena fell silent for a profoundly moving homage prior to the bout as ten bells tolled in memory of the city's native Ricky Hatton, who succumbed at age 46 in September.
It was the premier televised boxing event in the urban center since Hatton's passing. As the final chime disappeared, the stillness gave way to a chant of "there's only one Hatton".
The action inside the ropes equaled the feeling. The eventual winner was knocked down by a significant blow squarely on the jaw in the early round, standing uncertainly to his footing on the referee's count.
But the traditional red shorts of Arthur soon advanced again. Across the ring, the opponent - in opposing blue - was injured early, noticeable damage appearing under his face as the fighters landed punishing blows.
Rea, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but the champion, thirty-four, fought fire with fire with stinging uppercuts as the action seldom decreased over the full distance.
The victor narrowly won the result with scoring tallies of even score, 115-113 and wider gap, but the two athletes were relentless and brave, everything their idol the legend embodied.
