UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet disappointing start to life under recent management with a decision win over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's work rate likely gained him a split decision in a competitive 10-round fight at the Manchester venue.
But the challenger found success, landing some telling clean blows in a contest where the techniques didn't complement each other, with constant grabbing disrupting the action.
The scoring judges had it 96-94 to the winner, with the final judge a even score.
"It wasn't my finest display but what do champions do? They win," the victor commented in the ringside as he was met by negative reactions from the spectators.
The British fighter got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an epic battle with his previous opponent in February - to earn a 20th pro success.
Some ringside observers thought the challenger, 31, deserved the victory but the Derbyshire fighter suffered the second loss of his 28-match career.
The Champion Claims Win in Uneventful Affair
His career development has slowed in recent years through contract problems and extended periods of inactivity.
Once tipped as the future of British boxing, he now finds himself trying to fulfil that early promise - perhaps in what seems like a last chance - under recent support.
He started carefully, with both competitors willing to overcommit in a calculated early stages.
Parker, whose only previous defeat came at the lower weight class against John Ryder in two years ago after damaging his hand in the contest, was making just his second appearance at the higher weight class.
By the middle rounds, Parker had kept it close, causing problems for Buatsi, who worked behind a protective stance to edge the better rounds.
The spectators' acceptance decreased during constant clinching, with the challenger going down multiple occasions during clinches.
Parker closed well, but many rounds were hard to judge. However, former world champion the boxing analyst - providing analysis for Dazn - had it significantly in favor for Parker, scoring for Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi moves on, but with the caliber of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Russian star Dmitry Bivol ruling the division, the path to championship success - based on this performance - still seems difficult.
Ricky Hatton Homage Fuels Local Rivalry Fight
In the secondary fight, Arthur defeated Rea by close verdict in a terrific Manchester vs Manchester contest to capture the continental championship.
The stadium fell silent for a deeply poignant tribute before the fight as 10 bells tolled in honor of Manchester's own Hatton, who succumbed aged 46 in last month.
It was the initial significant broadcast match card in the urban center since Hatton's death. As the concluding sound faded, the silence became a shout of "only one Ricky Hatton".
The fighting within the ring equaled the feeling. The eventual winner was floored by a left hook squarely on the jaw in the second round, standing uncertainly to his position on the count of eight.
But the traditional red attire of the fighter soon advanced again. Across the ring, Rea - in rival City blue - was injured soon, significant bruising forming under his orbital area as the pair exchanged powerful shots.
Rea, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but Arthur, thirty-four, fought fire with fire with powerful upward punches as the intensity rarely dropped over the full distance.
The victor narrowly won the decision with scoring tallies of even score, narrow lead and clearer margin, but each competitor were persistent and brave, everything their idol Hatton represented.
