UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet disappointing beginning to his career under recent management with a points victory over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic bronze medallist's work rate appeared to earn him a majority decision in a tight ten-round contest at the Manchester venue.
But the challenger landed significant shots, landing some telling clean blows in a match where the approaches never quite clicked, with excessive holding disrupting the fight.
The scoring judges judged it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the final judge a even score.
"It wasn't my finest display but what do champions do? They succeed," the victor said in the arena as he was met by boos from the audience.
The British fighter bounced back after his first professional defeat - an epic battle with Callum Smith in last winter - to earn a 20th pro success.
Some ringside observers felt Parker, thirty-one, deserved the victory but the contender endured the second setback of his 28-bout career.
The Champion Claims Victory in Slow Encounter
The fighter's advancement has slowed in recent times through management issues and long spells of inactivity.
Earlier forecast as the future of the British fight scene, he now stands trying to fulfil that early promise - perhaps in what appears to be a ultimate opportunity - under new promotional backing.
He started carefully, with neither fighter ready to take risks in a cagey early stages.
Parker, whose single earlier setback came at the lower weight class against John Ryder in two years ago after damaging his hand mid-fight, was participating in his second appearance at light-heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, Parker had stayed in contention, causing problems for Buatsi, who utilized a tight guard to edge the more effective rounds.
The crowd's patience wore thin during constant clinching, with Parker falling to the floor several times during grappling.
The underdog closed well, but multiple periods were challenging to assess. Nevertheless, previous titleholder Carl Frampton - working with the broadcast network - had it strongly leaning for Parker, giving Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi moves on, but with the presence of hard hitter Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the road to world glory - judging by this showing - still seems difficult.
Hatton Memorial Motivates All-Manchester Fight
In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur beat Bradley Rea by split-decision in a excellent local rivalry fight to win the European light heavyweight belt.
The arena fell silent for a extremely emotional memorial before the fight as ten bells rang in remembrance of the city's native Hatton, who died 46 years old in September.
It was the initial significant broadcast match card in the location since Hatton's death. As the concluding sound disappeared, the stillness gave way to a chant of "there's just one Ricky Hatton".
The action inside the ropes matched the feeling. The eventual winner was floored by a left hook squarely on the chin in the second round, rising shakily to his position on the count of eight.
But the traditional red attire of Arthur soon advanced again. On the opposite side, the opponent - in competitive blue - was marked up quickly, significant bruising appearing under his face as the pair exchanged hard punches.
Rea, 27, landed power punches but Arthur, 34, matched the intensity with powerful upward punches as the action seldom decreased over 12 rounds.
The victor edged the result with official scores of even score, 115-113 and wider gap, but each competitor were relentless and full of heart, all the qualities their idol the legend represented.
