UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet underwhelming beginning to life under recent management with a points victory over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's punch output likely gained him a majority decision in a tight 10-round fight at the Co-op Live Arena.
But Parker landed significant shots, connecting with powerful individual punches in a match where the techniques never quite clicked, with excessive holding disrupting the action.
The scoring judges had it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the third a even score.
"It wasn't my finest display but what do champions do? They prevail," the victor said in the ringside as he was greeted with boos from the crowd.
The Londoner returned to winning ways after his maiden career setback - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in February - to earn a 20th pro success.
Several boxing experts believed the challenger, thirty-one, should have been awarded the win but the British boxer suffered the second setback of his 28-match professional journey.
The Champion Secures Victory in Uneventful Match
The fighter's advancement has stalled in recent years through promotional disputes and considerable time of lack of fights.
Once tipped as the future of British boxing, he now finds himself trying to achieve expectations - perhaps in what seems like a final roll of the dice - under new promotional backing.
He started carefully, with the two boxers ready to overcommit in a tentative opening few rounds.
Parker, whose sole prior loss came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in two years ago after breaking his hand in the contest, was making just his second fight at light-heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, Parker had made it competitive, creating difficulties for the favorite, who utilized a tight guard to narrowly win the cleaner periods.
The audience's tolerance decreased during frequent holding, with the challenger falling to the floor various instances during clinches.
Parker finished the stronger, but multiple periods were difficult to score. Although, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - working with the broadcast network - had it significantly in favor for Parker, awarding Buatsi just a single round.
The victor advances, but with the caliber of power puncher Benavidez, and Russian star Bivol ruling the division, the road to world glory - based on this performance - still looks steep.
Hatton Memorial Motivates Local Rivalry Battle
In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur overcame Rea by divided decision in a outstanding all-Manchester fight to win the European light heavyweight belt.
The arena fell silent for a deeply poignant homage prior to the bout as ten bells rang in honor of Manchester's own Hatton, who succumbed aged 46 in recently.
It was the premier televised fight night in the city since the passing of Hatton. As the concluding sound faded, the quiet became a roar of "only one Hatton".
The competition within the ring reflected the feeling. Arthur was floored by a powerful punch flush on the jaw in the second round, rising shakily to his feet on the count of eight.
But the traditional red shorts of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. From the other corner, the opponent - in opposing blue - was damaged soon, noticeable damage appearing under his face as the pair traded powerful shots.
The challenger, twenty-seven, landed power punches but the champion, thirty-four, matched the intensity with stinging uppercuts as the pace rarely dropped over 12 rounds.
The victor edged the decision with scoring tallies of 114-114, close margin and wider gap, but both fighters were persistent and full of heart, everything their hero Hatton embodied.
