UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet unimpressive beginning to life under recent management with a decision win over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's punch output seemingly secured him a majority decision in a competitive ten-round bout at the boxing arena.
But the challenger landed significant shots, delivering effective single shots in a match where the techniques never quite clicked, with frequent clinching disrupting the fight.
The officials scored it 96-94 in favor to Buatsi, with the third a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my best display but how do champions respond? They prevail," Buatsi commented in the ring as he was met by boos from the audience.
The British fighter bounced back after his first professional defeat - an thrilling contest with Callum Smith in last winter - to earn a 20th career victory.
Several boxing experts felt Parker, thirty-one, should have been awarded the victory but the Derbyshire fighter suffered the second defeat of his 28-bout career.
The Champion Earns Triumph in Slow Encounter
His career development has plateaued in the past few years through management issues and long spells of inactivity.
Previously predicted as the rising talent of UK boxing, he now is positioned trying to fulfil that early promise - possibly in what feels like a final roll of the dice - under new promotional backing.
He began cautiously, with the two boxers ready to be aggressive in a cagey initial rounds.
Parker, whose sole prior loss came at super-middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after damaging his hand mid-fight, was competing in only his second fight at the higher weight class.
By the middle rounds, Parker had made it competitive, creating difficulties for the favorite, who utilized a solid defense to edge the more effective rounds.
The crowd's patience decreased because of regular grabbing, with Parker slipping to the canvas several times during close exchanges.
Parker finished the stronger, but several stanzas were challenging to assess. However, former world champion the boxing analyst - working with Dazn - had it strongly leaning for Parker, awarding Buatsi just only one stanza.
The victor moves on, but with the presence of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Russian star Dmitry Bivol ruling the division, the road to world glory - on this evidence - still appears challenging.
Hatton Homage Fuels Local Rivalry Contest
In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur defeated Rea by split-decision in a outstanding local rivalry contest to capture the European light-heavyweight championship.
The venue became quiet for a extremely emotional homage prior to the bout as a bell ceremony rang in remembrance of the city's native Hatton, who succumbed 46 years old in September.
It was the premier televised match card in the city since Hatton's death. As the final chime faded, the quiet gave way to a shout of "only one Ricky Hatton".
The competition during the bout reflected the sentiment. Arthur was knocked down by a powerful punch directly to the face in the early round, rising shakily to his feet on the referee's count.
But the traditional red attire of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. On the opposite side, Rea - in competitive blue - was injured quickly, heavy swelling developing under his face as the duo traded hard punches.
Rea, 27, connected with strong blows but the champion, thirty-four, responded in kind with effective uppercuts as the action rarely dropped over the full distance.
Arthur edged the result with judges scorecards of 114-114, 115-113 and wider gap, but both fighters were persistent and full of heart, everything their hero Hatton stood for.
