UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet unimpressive beginning to life under new promoters with a points victory over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic bronze medallist's work rate likely gained him a judges' verdict in a tight 10-round contest at the Co-op Live Arena.
But Parker found success, delivering effective clean blows in a fight where the approaches never quite clicked, with frequent clinching marring the contest.
The scoring judges judged it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the final judge a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my best display but what do champions do? They win," the victor said in the ringside as he was greeted with disapproval from the crowd.
The Londoner returned to winning ways after his maiden career setback - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in February - to claim a twentieth professional win.
Various analysts felt the challenger, thirty-one, deserved the decision but the British boxer experienced the second loss of his 28-bout professional journey.
The Champion Secures Win in Dull Affair
Buatsi's progress has slowed in recent times through promotional disputes and considerable time of inactivity.
Once tipped as the rising talent of UK boxing, he now stands trying to realize his potential - maybe in what feels like a ultimate opportunity - under fresh management.
He began cautiously, with neither fighter prepared to take risks in a calculated opening few rounds.
Parker, whose only previous defeat came at super-middleweight 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, the underdog had kept it close, making life awkward for the favorite, who operated with a protective stance to narrowly win the cleaner stanzas.
The crowd's patience decreased during constant clinching, with Parker slipping to the canvas several times during grappling.
The underdog finished the stronger, but several stanzas were difficult to score. However, ex-champion the boxing analyst - commentating on Dazn - had it particularly wide for Parker, awarding Buatsi just only one stanza.
Buatsi advances, but with the presence of hard hitter Benavidez, and Russian star Bivol dominating the weight class, the road to world glory - on this evidence - still looks steep.
Hatton Memorial Motivates All-Manchester Contest
In the secondary fight, Arthur overcame Rea by close verdict in a terrific Manchester vs Manchester fight to capture the continental championship.
The arena grew hushed for a deeply poignant homage ahead of the contest as ten bells rang in memory of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who died at age 46 in September.
It was the initial significant broadcast fight night in the location since Hatton's death. As the final chime ended, the stillness gave way to a roar of "only one Ricky Hatton".
The action inside the ropes matched the emotion. Arthur was sent to the canvas by a significant blow directly to the face in the early round, getting up unsteadily to his feet on the referee's count.
But the Manchester United-red shorts of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. From the other corner, Rea - in rival City blue - was marked up early, heavy swelling developing under his orbital area as the fighters landed powerful shots.
The challenger, twenty-seven, landed power punches but the champion, 34, matched the intensity with effective uppercuts as the pace seldom decreased over 12 rounds.
Arthur barely secured the verdict with judges scorecards of even score, narrow lead and wider gap, but the two athletes were persistent and brave, all the qualities their hero Hatton stood for.
