British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet underwhelming start to life under recent management with a decision win over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic bronze medallist's punch output appeared to earn him a split decision in a competitive 10-round contest at the boxing arena.
But Parker landed significant shots, connecting with powerful clean blows in a match where the styles never quite clicked, with frequent clinching marring the action.
Two judges judged it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the remaining official a 95-95.
"It wasn't my best performance but what do champions do? They succeed," Buatsi stated in the arena as he was met by negative reactions from the crowd.
The British fighter bounced back after his first professional defeat - an memorable fight with his previous opponent in last winter - to secure a 20th career victory.
Several boxing experts thought the challenger, 31, should have been awarded the victory but the Derbyshire fighter suffered the second loss of his 28-match career.
Buatsi Claims Victory in Slow Encounter
The fighter's advancement has plateaued in the past few years through contract problems and considerable time of inactivity.
Previously predicted as the next star of the British fight scene, he now stands trying to realize his potential - possibly in what feels like a ultimate opportunity - under fresh management.
He began cautiously, with the two boxers prepared to be aggressive in a tentative early stages.
Parker, whose only previous defeat came at super middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after breaking his hand during the bout, was making just his second bout at the higher weight class.
By the middle rounds, the underdog had kept it close, causing problems for Buatsi, who operated with a solid defense to edge the cleaner periods.
The audience's tolerance wore thin during frequent holding, with Parker going down several times during clinches.
The underdog ended stronger, but many rounds were difficult to score. However, former world champion Carl Frampton - commentating on Dazn - had it strongly leaning for the challenger, giving Buatsi just one round.
The victor advances, but with the caliber of power puncher Benavidez, and Russian star Dmitry Bivol ruling the division, the journey to titles - based on this performance - still appears challenging.
Ricky Hatton Tribute Fuels Manchester Derby Battle
In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur defeated Rea by close verdict in a outstanding Manchester vs Manchester fight to capture the continental belt.
The stadium became quiet for a profoundly moving homage ahead of the contest as a bell ceremony tolled in honor of Manchester's own Hatton, who passed away at age 46 in last month.
It was the initial significant broadcast boxing event in the city since the passing of Hatton. As the concluding sound faded, the quiet became a shout of "there's only one Ricky Hatton".
The action within the ring matched the feeling. Arthur was knocked down by a powerful punch flush on the chin in the early round, standing uncertainly to his feet on the referee's count.
But the red-colored shorts of Arthur soon advanced again. From the other corner, the opponent - in rival City blue - was injured quickly, noticeable damage appearing under his orbital area as the duo traded powerful shots.
Rea, twenty-seven, landed power punches but Arthur, thirty-four, responded in kind with powerful upward punches as the intensity rarely dropped over twelve rounds.
The victor edged the decision with official scores of 114-114, close margin and wider gap, but the two athletes were persistent and courageous, everything their idol Hatton represented.
