British light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet disappointing start to life under fresh promotional backing with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic bronze medallist's punch output likely gained him a judges' verdict in a tight ten-round fight at the boxing arena.
But Parker landed significant shots, landing some telling single shots in a contest where the styles didn't complement each other, with excessive holding marring the contest.
The officials had it 96-94 in favor to Buatsi, with the remaining official a 95-95.
"It wasn't my greatest performance but how do champions respond? They win," the victor said in the arena as he was faced negative reactions from the crowd.
The Londoner got back to winning after his initial pro loss - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in last winter - to secure a 20th pro success.
Various analysts thought the challenger, 31, merited the decision but the Derbyshire fighter suffered the second defeat of his 28-bout career.
The Champion Claims Triumph in Slow Encounter
The fighter's advancement has stalled in the past few years through contract problems and considerable time of inactivity.
Once tipped as the future of UK boxing, he now finds himself trying to fulfil that early promise - maybe in what feels like a ultimate opportunity - under new promotional backing.
He started carefully, with neither fighter prepared to take risks in a cagey opening few rounds.
Parker, whose only previous defeat came at super middleweight against his former opponent in two years ago after damaging his hand mid-fight, was participating in his second appearance at light heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, the underdog had stayed in contention, causing problems for the favorite, who operated with a tight guard to edge the better rounds.
The crowd's patience wore thin amid frequent holding, with the challenger falling to the floor various instances during grappling.
Parker finished the stronger, but many rounds were hard to judge. However, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - providing analysis for the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for Parker, awarding Buatsi just only one stanza.
Buatsi moves on, but with the likes of power puncher Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Bivol dominating the weight class, the journey to titles - on this evidence - still seems difficult.
Ricky Hatton Tribute Fuels All-Manchester Fight
In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by close verdict in a outstanding all-Manchester contest to capture the continental belt.
The stadium grew hushed for a deeply poignant homage ahead of the contest as 10 bells tolled in honor of the city's native Ricky Hatton, who died aged 46 in last month.
It was the premier televised boxing event in the location since Hatton's passing. As the final chime disappeared, the quiet became a shout of "only one Ricky Hatton".
The action inside the ropes reflected the emotion. Arthur was floored by a significant blow directly to the jaw in the early round, standing uncertainly to his feet on the referee's count.
But the traditional red shorts of Arthur soon came forward again. On the opposite side, the opponent - in opposing blue - was injured quickly, heavy swelling forming under his eye as the fighters exchanged powerful shots.
Rea, twenty-seven, connected with strong blows but Arthur, thirty-four, fought fire with fire with powerful upward punches as the intensity hardly diminished over twelve rounds.
The victor narrowly won the result with judges scorecards of draw, close margin and wider gap, but the two athletes were relentless and full of heart, everything their idol the legend represented.
