British light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet disappointing beginning to life under recent management with a decision win over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's activity level likely gained him a split decision in a tight ten-round bout at the Manchester venue.
But the challenger had his moments, landing some telling single shots in a contest where the techniques didn't complement each other, with constant grabbing marring the contest.
The scoring judges scored it 96-94 for to Buatsi, with the third a even score.
"It wasn't my best showing but what defines champions? They succeed," the victor stated in the ring as he was faced disapproval from the spectators.
The British fighter bounced back after his initial pro loss - an thrilling contest with his previous opponent in February - to earn a twentieth professional win.
Several boxing experts thought Parker, thirty-one, deserved the win but the British boxer experienced the second defeat of his 28-match career.
The Champion Earns Triumph in Dull Match
His career development has stalled in recent times through contract problems and extended periods of lack of fights.
Previously predicted as the next star of British boxing, he now finds himself trying to fulfil that early promise - perhaps in what feels like a final roll of the dice - under new promotional backing.
He began cautiously, with the two boxers prepared to be aggressive in a tentative initial rounds.
Parker, whose single earlier setback came at super middleweight against his former opponent in two years ago after damaging his hand in the contest, was participating in his second bout at light-heavyweight.
By the middle rounds, the underdog had made it competitive, causing problems for Buatsi, who operated with a protective stance to barely take the cleaner periods.
The crowd's patience diminished because of constant clinching, with the challenger going down several times during clinches.
The underdog closed well, but multiple periods were hard to judge. Nevertheless, ex-champion Carl Frampton - working with the broadcast network - had it significantly in favor for Parker, awarding Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi progresses, but with the likes of power puncher Benavidez, and Russian champion Bivol dominating the weight class, the path to championship success - based on this performance - still appears challenging.
Hatton Tribute Fuels All-Manchester Contest
In the secondary fight, Arthur beat Rea by close verdict in a terrific all-Manchester fight to secure the European light heavyweight belt.
The stadium fell silent for a profoundly moving homage ahead of the contest as ten bells sounded in honor of local hero Ricky Hatton, who succumbed at age 46 in September.
It was the first major televised fight night in the city since Hatton's passing. As the concluding sound disappeared, the quiet became a chant of "there's just one Ricky Hatton".
The fighting inside the ropes matched the feeling. Arthur was sent to the canvas by a left hook directly to the jaw in the initial stage, getting up unsteadily to his footing on the referee's count.
But the red-colored shorts of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. On the opposite side, the opponent - in opposing blue - was marked up quickly, significant bruising forming under his orbital area as the duo landed punishing blows.
The challenger, 27, landed power punches but the champion, 34, responded in kind with stinging uppercuts as the pace hardly diminished over twelve rounds.
Arthur edged the verdict with judges scorecards of draw, narrow lead and 115-112, but both fighters were persistent and courageous, exactly what their hero Hatton represented.
