UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet unimpressive debut to life under fresh promotional backing with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic bronze medallist's activity level appeared to earn him a judges' verdict in a competitive ten-round fight at the boxing arena.
But the challenger had his moments, landing some telling individual punches in a match where the approaches failed to mesh, with excessive holding spoiling the action.
The scoring judges scored it 96-94 to the winner, with the final judge a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my greatest display but what defines champions? They win," Buatsi stated in the ring as he was greeted with disapproval from the crowd.
The British fighter bounced back after his initial pro loss - an epic battle with Callum Smith in last winter - to claim a 20th pro success.
Some ringside observers thought Parker, 31, should have been awarded the victory but the Derbyshire fighter experienced the second defeat of his 28-match professional journey.
The Champion Secures Victory in Slow Affair
The fighter's advancement has slowed in recent times through management issues and long spells of inactivity.
Earlier forecast as the future of UK boxing, he now is positioned trying to realize his potential - maybe in what feels like a last chance - under recent support.
He started carefully, with neither fighter willing to take risks in a tentative opening few rounds.
Parker, whose only previous defeat came at super middleweight against John Ryder in two years ago after breaking his hand mid-fight, was competing in only his second fight at light-heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, the underdog had made it competitive, creating difficulties for the favorite, who utilized a protective stance to barely take the better stanzas.
The crowd's patience diminished during regular grabbing, with the challenger falling to the floor multiple occasions during clinches.
Parker ended stronger, but many rounds were challenging to assess. Nevertheless, ex-champion Carl Frampton - providing analysis for Dazn - had it significantly in favor for Parker, scoring for Buatsi just only one stanza.
Buatsi moves on, but with the presence of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the road to world glory - based on this performance - still appears challenging.
Hatton Homage Motivates Local Rivalry Contest
In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur overcame Rea by divided decision in a terrific all-Manchester battle to win the continental championship.
The arena grew hushed for a deeply poignant tribute before the fight as ten bells tolled in remembrance of the city's native Hatton, who succumbed 46 years old in last month.
It was the initial significant broadcast match card in the city since Hatton's death. As the last bell ended, the silence became a roar of "there's just one Hatton".
The fighting during the bout equaled the sentiment. Arthur was knocked down by a powerful punch flush on the jaw in the initial stage, standing uncertainly to his position on the count of eight.
But the traditional red shorts of the fighter soon advanced again. From the other corner, the opponent - in opposing blue - was marked up early, significant bruising forming under his face as the fighters landed powerful shots.
Rea, 27, connected with strong blows but Arthur, 34, responded in kind with effective uppercuts as the action rarely dropped over twelve rounds.
Arthur narrowly won the verdict with official scores of 114-114, 115-113 and wider gap, but each competitor were determined and courageous, all the qualities their hero Hatton embodied.
