British light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet disappointing start to life under fresh promotional backing with a points victory over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's work rate appeared to earn him a judges' verdict in a tight 10-round contest at the Co-op Live Arena.
But Parker had his moments, delivering effective single shots in a match where the techniques failed to mesh, with frequent clinching marring the contest.
The scoring judges judged it 96-94 for to Buatsi, with the third a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my greatest display but how do champions respond? They win," Buatsi stated in the ringside as he was faced negative reactions from the audience.
The Londoner returned to winning ways after his maiden career setback - an epic battle with his previous opponent in last winter - to secure a twentieth professional win.
Some ringside observers believed the challenger, 31, deserved the decision but the contender endured the second loss of his 28-bout professional journey.
Buatsi Earns Victory in Slow Affair
Buatsi's progress has slowed in the past few years through promotional disputes and long spells of inactivity.
Previously predicted as the future of UK boxing, he now is positioned trying to realize his potential - perhaps in what appears to be a final roll of the dice - under new promotional backing.
He started carefully, with the two boxers willing to be aggressive in a tentative early stages.
The challenger, whose only previous defeat came at super-middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after suffering a hand injury during the bout, was competing in only his second bout at the higher weight class.
By the fight's midpoint, the underdog had kept it close, making life awkward for Buatsi, who utilized a solid defense to edge the cleaner periods.
The spectators' acceptance diminished amid constant clinching, with the challenger falling to the floor various instances during grappling.
Parker closed well, but many rounds were hard to judge. Although, former world champion Carl Frampton - providing analysis for Dazn - had it strongly leaning for Parker, scoring for Buatsi just a single round.
Buatsi moves on, but with the caliber of hard hitter Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol ruling the division, the road to world glory - judging by this showing - still seems difficult.
Ricky Hatton Homage Inspires All-Manchester Battle
In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur overcame Rea by close verdict in a excellent Manchester vs Manchester fight to capture the continental title.
The venue grew hushed for a deeply poignant memorial before the fight as a bell ceremony tolled in remembrance of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who passed away 46 years old in last month.
It was the premier televised boxing event in the location since Hatton's passing. As the final chime faded, the quiet became a shout of "there's only one Ricky Hatton".
The competition inside the ropes reflected the emotion. Arthur was sent to the canvas by a powerful punch flush on the jaw in the second round, standing uncertainly to his feet on the eight count.
But the red-colored equipment of Arthur soon came forward again. From the other corner, Rea - in opposing blue - was injured soon, noticeable damage forming under his orbital area as the duo landed powerful shots.
The challenger, twenty-seven, landed power punches but the champion, thirty-four, matched the intensity with stinging uppercuts as the action rarely dropped over the full distance.
The victor edged the verdict with judges scorecards of 114-114, narrow lead and wider gap, but the two athletes were persistent and brave, all the qualities their idol the legend stood for.
