British light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet unimpressive start to life under recent management with a decision win over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's work rate seemingly secured him a judges' verdict in a close ten-round fight at the Manchester venue.
But Parker landed significant shots, landing some telling single shots in a match where the techniques didn't complement each other, with frequent clinching marring the contest.
The scoring judges had it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the remaining official a 95-95.
"It wasn't my best display but what defines champions? They win," the victor stated in the arena as he was faced boos from the spectators.
The Londoner got back to winning after his initial pro loss - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in February - to earn a twentieth professional win.
Some ringside observers thought the challenger, 31, deserved the win but the British boxer endured the second setback of his 28-match professional journey.
The Champion Secures Win in Slow Encounter
Buatsi's progress has slowed in recent times through management issues and long spells of lack of fights.
Earlier forecast as the future of UK boxing, he now finds himself trying to fulfil that early promise - possibly in what feels like a ultimate opportunity - under fresh management.
He started carefully, with neither fighter prepared to take risks in a tentative opening few rounds.
Parker, whose single earlier setback came at super middleweight against John Ryder in 2022 after breaking his hand during the bout, was making just his second fight at light-heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, Parker had kept it close, making life awkward for Buatsi, who utilized a tight guard to barely take the cleaner stanzas.
The audience's tolerance diminished amid frequent holding, with Parker slipping to the canvas various instances during grappling.
The underdog ended stronger, but several stanzas were difficult to score. Although, ex-champion Carl Frampton - commentating on Dazn - had it significantly in favor for the challenger, awarding Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi moves on, but with the caliber of hard hitter Benavidez, and Russian champion Bivol dominating the weight class, the path to championship success - based on this performance - still looks steep.
Hatton Homage Motivates Local Rivalry Contest
In the co-main event, Arthur beat Bradley Rea by split-decision in a outstanding all-Manchester fight to capture the continental championship.
The arena became quiet for a deeply poignant tribute before the fight as 10 bells sounded in honor of Manchester's own Hatton, who died 46 years old in last month.
It was the premier televised boxing event in the location since Hatton's death. As the last bell disappeared, the quiet transitioned to a chant of "only one Ricky Hatton".
The fighting during the bout matched the sentiment. Arthur was knocked down by a significant blow directly to the chin in the early round, standing uncertainly to his position on the count of eight.
But the traditional red attire of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. On the opposite side, the opponent - in opposing blue - was injured quickly, noticeable damage developing under his face as the pair traded hard punches.
The challenger, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but the champion, thirty-four, matched the intensity with stinging uppercuts as the action hardly diminished over 12 rounds.
Arthur narrowly won the verdict with judges scorecards of draw, narrow lead and 115-112, but the two athletes were determined and full of heart, everything their hero Hatton represented.
