British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet underwhelming debut to his career under recent management with a points victory over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's punch output likely gained him a majority decision in a close ten-round bout at the Manchester venue.
But the challenger had his moments, connecting with powerful individual punches in a match where the approaches didn't complement each other, with constant grabbing disrupting the contest.
The scoring judges judged it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the remaining official a even score.
"It wasn't my greatest performance but what do champions do? They prevail," Buatsi stated in the ringside as he was faced boos from the spectators.
The British fighter got back to winning after his maiden career setback - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in last winter - to earn a 20th career victory.
Several boxing experts thought Parker, thirty-one, merited the victory but the contender endured the second defeat of his 28-fight professional journey.
The Champion Secures Victory in Slow Affair
Buatsi's progress has slowed in recent times through promotional disputes and long spells of lack of fights.
Once tipped as the next star of British boxing, he now stands trying to fulfil that early promise - perhaps in what appears to be a ultimate opportunity - under recent support.
He started carefully, with both competitors willing to overcommit in a tentative opening few rounds.
Parker, whose single earlier setback came at super-middleweight 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 middle rounds, the underdog had stayed in contention, causing problems for Buatsi, who worked behind a protective stance to narrowly win the cleaner periods.
The crowd's patience diminished because of regular grabbing, with the challenger slipping to the canvas multiple occasions during close exchanges.
Parker closed well, but many rounds were hard to judge. Although, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - commentating on the broadcast network - had it strongly leaning for Parker, awarding Buatsi just a single round.
Buatsi moves on, but with the likes of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Russian star Bivol dominating the weight class, the path to championship success - judging by this showing - still seems difficult.
Ricky Hatton Homage Fuels Manchester Derby Fight
In the supporting bout, Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by split-decision in a terrific all-Manchester contest to capture the European light heavyweight championship.
The venue grew hushed for a extremely emotional homage prior to the bout as 10 bells rang in remembrance of the city's native Ricky Hatton, who died at age 46 in last month.
It was the initial significant broadcast match card in the location since Hatton's death. As the last bell faded, the stillness became a shout of "there's just one Ricky Hatton".
The fighting during the bout reflected the feeling. The eventual winner was knocked down by a powerful punch squarely on the chin in the second round, rising shakily to his feet on the count of eight.
But the traditional red shorts of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. On the opposite side, Rea - in opposing blue - was damaged early, heavy swelling forming under his orbital area as the duo traded punishing blows.
Rea, 27, connected with strong blows but the champion, 34, responded in kind with powerful upward punches as the intensity hardly diminished over 12 rounds.
The victor barely secured the verdict with official scores of draw, narrow lead and wider gap, but each competitor were relentless and courageous, everything their inspiration Hatton represented.
