UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet unimpressive start to life under recent management with a decision win over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's activity level likely gained him a majority decision in a competitive 10-round fight at the Manchester venue.
But the challenger found success, delivering effective individual punches in a match where the approaches failed to mesh, with frequent clinching marring the action.
The scoring judges scored it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the remaining official a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my best performance but what do champions do? They prevail," the victor said in the ring as he was met by disapproval from the crowd.
The British fighter returned to winning ways after his first professional defeat - an epic battle with his previous opponent in last winter - to earn a 20th pro success.
Several boxing experts thought the challenger, thirty-one, deserved the victory but the British boxer experienced the second setback of his 28-match career.
The Champion Earns Win in Slow Affair
Buatsi's progress has slowed in recent years through management issues and considerable time of inactivity.
Earlier forecast as the future of the British fight scene, he now stands trying to fulfil that early promise - maybe in what appears to be a ultimate opportunity - under recent support.
He began cautiously, with the two boxers prepared to overcommit in a calculated early stages.
Parker, whose single earlier setback came at the lower weight class against John Ryder in two years ago after damaging his hand during the bout, was competing in only his second appearance at light-heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, Parker had kept it close, making life awkward for the favorite, who operated with a protective stance to edge the cleaner stanzas.
The spectators' acceptance wore thin because of frequent holding, with Parker slipping to the canvas various instances during close exchanges.
The underdog closed well, but multiple periods were challenging to assess. However, ex-champion Carl Frampton - providing analysis for Dazn - had it strongly leaning for Parker, awarding Buatsi just only one stanza.
The victor progresses, but with the caliber of hard hitter Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the road to world glory - judging by this showing - still seems difficult.
Hatton Homage Motivates Manchester Derby Battle
In the secondary fight, Arthur overcame Bradley Rea by close verdict in a outstanding all-Manchester fight to win the European light-heavyweight belt.
The venue grew hushed for a profoundly moving tribute ahead of the contest as ten bells rang in remembrance of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who succumbed 46 years old in last month.
It was the premier televised boxing event in the location since the passing of Hatton. As the final chime faded, the silence became a chant of "there's just one Hatton".
The action inside the ropes reflected the emotion. Arthur was knocked down by a significant blow directly to the chin in the second round, getting up unsteadily to his footing on the referee's count.
But the Manchester United-red attire of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. On the opposite side, Rea - in competitive blue - was injured early, significant bruising developing under his face as the pair exchanged punishing blows.
Rea, twenty-seven, landed power punches but Arthur, 34, responded in kind with powerful upward punches as the pace rarely dropped over twelve rounds.
Arthur edged the verdict with scoring tallies of 114-114, narrow lead and wider gap, but each competitor were persistent and courageous, exactly what their idol the legend embodied.
