British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet unimpressive start to his career under recent management with a points victory over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's activity level seemingly secured him a judges' verdict in a tight ten-round fight at the boxing arena.
But the challenger found success, delivering effective single shots in a match where the styles didn't complement each other, with excessive holding marring the action.
The scoring judges scored it 96-94 in favor to Buatsi, with the remaining official a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my finest performance but what defines champions? They prevail," the victor said in the ringside as he was faced boos from the crowd.
The British fighter bounced back after his initial pro loss - an epic battle with his previous opponent in last winter - to claim a twentieth professional win.
Some ringside observers felt Parker, 31, merited the victory but the contender endured the second defeat of his 28-match career.
Buatsi Claims Win in Uneventful Affair
Buatsi's progress has plateaued in the past few years through contract problems and extended periods of inactivity.
Previously predicted as the future of UK boxing, he now finds himself trying to realize his potential - maybe in what feels like a final roll of the dice - under fresh management.
He opened tentatively, with the two boxers ready to be aggressive in a calculated early stages.
The challenger, whose sole prior loss came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in two years ago after damaging his hand in the contest, was participating in his second fight at the higher weight class.
By the halfway stage, Parker had kept it close, causing problems for Buatsi, who operated with a tight guard to narrowly win the more effective periods.
The crowd's patience diminished during constant clinching, with Parker going down several times during clinches.
Parker closed well, but multiple periods were difficult to score. Although, ex-champion Carl Frampton - working with the broadcast network - had it strongly leaning for Parker, giving Buatsi just only one stanza.
Buatsi moves on, but with the caliber of power puncher Benavidez, and Russian star Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the journey to titles - on this evidence - still appears challenging.
Ricky Hatton Homage Inspires Manchester Derby Fight
In the co-main event, Arthur overcame Bradley Rea by close verdict in a outstanding Manchester vs Manchester contest to capture the European light-heavyweight belt.
The venue fell silent for a deeply poignant homage ahead of the contest as 10 bells sounded in remembrance of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who died 46 years old in last month.
It was the initial significant broadcast fight night in the location since Hatton's passing. As the last bell ended, the silence gave way to a shout of "only one Hatton".
The fighting inside the ropes matched the feeling. The eventual winner was knocked down by a powerful punch flush on the chin in the early round, rising shakily to his footing on the referee's count.
But the red-colored attire of the fighter soon advanced again. On the opposite side, Rea - in rival City blue - was damaged soon, heavy swelling developing under his eye as the fighters exchanged powerful shots.
Rea, 27, delivered effective strikes but Arthur, 34, responded in kind with stinging uppercuts as the action rarely dropped over twelve rounds.
The victor barely secured the result with official scores of 114-114, 115-113 and wider gap, but each competitor were persistent and brave, everything their inspiration the legend represented.
