UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet disappointing start to life under fresh promotional backing with a decision win over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic bronze medallist's work rate likely gained him a split decision in a competitive ten-round fight at the boxing arena.
But the challenger had his moments, connecting with powerful individual punches in a contest where the approaches never quite clicked, with constant grabbing disrupting the action.
The scoring judges scored it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the remaining official a even score.
"It wasn't my finest performance but what defines champions? They win," Buatsi said in the ring as he was met by boos from the crowd.
The British fighter bounced back after his maiden career setback - an thrilling contest with Callum Smith in last winter - to earn a 20th pro success.
Some ringside observers felt Parker, 31, deserved the win but the Derbyshire fighter suffered the second loss of his 28-bout professional journey.
Buatsi Claims Win in Dull Encounter
His career development has slowed in the past few years through management issues and long spells of inactivity.
Once tipped as the future of UK boxing, he now stands trying to achieve expectations - perhaps in what feels like a last chance - under fresh management.
He opened tentatively, with both competitors ready to be aggressive in a calculated early stages.
The challenger, whose single earlier setback came at super-middleweight against his former opponent in two years ago after breaking his hand in the contest, was making just his second appearance at the higher weight class.
By the halfway stage, the underdog had made it competitive, creating difficulties for Buatsi, who utilized a solid defense to narrowly win the cleaner rounds.
The crowd's patience decreased amid constant clinching, with Parker falling to the floor multiple occasions during close exchanges.
The underdog ended stronger, but several stanzas were challenging to assess. Although, former world champion the boxing analyst - working with the broadcast network - had it significantly in favor for Parker, scoring for Buatsi just only one stanza.
The victor advances, but with the caliber of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the journey to titles - on this evidence - still looks steep.
Hatton Homage Motivates All-Manchester Contest
In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by split-decision in a outstanding local rivalry battle to win the European light-heavyweight belt.
The venue fell silent for a deeply poignant tribute ahead of the contest as ten bells tolled in honor of Manchester's own Hatton, who passed away at age 46 in September.
It was the initial significant broadcast match card in the location since the passing of Hatton. As the final chime disappeared, the quiet gave way to a chant of "there's just one Ricky Hatton".
The action during the bout matched the emotion. The eventual winner was floored by a left hook directly to the face in the early round, rising shakily to his feet on the eight count.
But the traditional red attire of the fighter soon came forward again. From the other corner, the opponent - in opposing blue - was injured quickly, significant bruising appearing under his eye as the duo traded powerful shots.
The challenger, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but Arthur, thirty-four, responded in kind with powerful upward punches as the pace seldom decreased over 12 rounds.
Arthur edged the verdict with judges scorecards of even score, 115-113 and wider gap, but each competitor were persistent and courageous, all the qualities their hero the legend stood for.
