UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet disappointing start to his career under recent management with a points victory over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's work rate seemingly secured him a judges' verdict in a tight ten-round contest at the Co-op Live Arena.
But Parker found success, delivering effective single shots in a fight where the styles never quite clicked, with frequent clinching spoiling the action.
The scoring judges scored it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the final judge a 95-95.
"It wasn't my best performance but what do champions do? They win," the victor said in the ringside as he was faced boos from the audience.
The British fighter returned to winning ways after his first professional defeat - an epic battle with Callum Smith in last winter - to secure a twentieth professional win.
Some ringside observers felt Parker, thirty-one, merited the decision but the Derbyshire fighter experienced the second loss of his 28-fight professional journey.
Buatsi Secures Triumph in Slow Encounter
His career development has stalled in recent times through management issues and long spells of lack of fights.
Previously predicted as the future of the British fight scene, he now finds himself trying to realize his potential - maybe in what appears to be a ultimate opportunity - under recent support.
He opened tentatively, with the two boxers ready to overcommit in a tentative early stages.
The challenger, whose sole prior loss came at the lower weight class against John Ryder in two years ago after breaking his hand mid-fight, was competing in only his second bout at the higher weight class.
By the halfway stage, Parker had made it competitive, creating difficulties for Buatsi, who utilized a tight guard to barely take the cleaner stanzas.
The spectators' acceptance decreased because of frequent holding, with the challenger slipping to the canvas several times during close exchanges.
The underdog ended stronger, but multiple periods were hard to judge. Although, ex-champion the boxing analyst - commentating on Dazn - had it particularly wide for Parker, awarding Buatsi just only one stanza.
Buatsi moves on, but with the caliber of hard hitter Benavidez, and Russian star Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the road to world glory - based on this performance - still looks steep.
Ricky Hatton Homage Inspires Local Rivalry Contest
In the supporting bout, Arthur beat Bradley Rea by close verdict in a terrific local rivalry fight to secure the continental belt.
The stadium grew hushed for a extremely emotional homage ahead of the contest as 10 bells tolled in remembrance of local hero Ricky Hatton, who died 46 years old in last month.
It was the initial significant broadcast boxing event in the urban center since the passing of Hatton. As the concluding sound disappeared, the quiet gave way to a chant of "only one Ricky Hatton".
The competition inside the ropes matched the emotion. Arthur was knocked down by a powerful punch directly to the face in the second round, getting up unsteadily to his position on the count of eight.
But the traditional red shorts of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, Rea - in opposing blue - was marked up early, heavy swelling developing under his orbital area as the pair traded powerful shots.
The challenger, 27, connected with strong blows but Arthur, thirty-four, responded in kind with effective uppercuts as the action rarely dropped over the full distance.
The victor narrowly won the result with scoring tallies of draw, close margin and 115-112, but each competitor were relentless and brave, everything their hero Hatton stood for.
