British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet unimpressive start to life under fresh promotional backing with a decision win over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's punch output appeared to earn him a majority decision in a tight ten-round bout at the Co-op Live Arena.
But the challenger landed significant shots, landing some telling individual punches in a fight where the styles didn't complement each other, with constant grabbing spoiling the action.
The officials had it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the remaining official a even score.
"It wasn't my greatest showing but how do champions respond? They win," Buatsi stated in the ringside as he was faced negative reactions from the audience.
The Londoner returned to winning ways after his first professional defeat - an epic battle with Callum Smith in February - to claim a 20th pro success.
Some ringside observers thought Parker, thirty-one, should have been awarded the win but the British boxer endured the second defeat of his 28-fight career.
The Champion Earns Victory in Dull Encounter
His career development has plateaued in the past few years through promotional disputes and long spells of lack of fights.
Earlier forecast as the rising talent of the British fight scene, he now stands trying to fulfil that early promise - perhaps in what seems like a last chance - under recent support.
He began cautiously, with neither fighter prepared to overcommit in a cagey opening few rounds.
Parker, whose single earlier setback came at the lower weight class against his former opponent in 2022 after breaking his hand during the bout, was participating in his second bout at the higher weight class.
By the fight's midpoint, the underdog had stayed in contention, creating difficulties for the favorite, who operated with a solid defense to narrowly win the more effective stanzas.
The crowd's patience diminished during constant clinching, with Parker going down multiple occasions during close exchanges.
Parker finished the stronger, but multiple periods were challenging to assess. Nevertheless, previous titleholder Carl Frampton - commentating on Dazn - had it significantly in favor for Parker, scoring for Buatsi just a single round.
Buatsi moves on, but with the likes of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the road to world glory - based on this performance - still looks steep.
Hatton Homage Motivates All-Manchester Fight
In the co-main event, Arthur beat Bradley Rea by close verdict in a outstanding local rivalry battle to capture the continental title.
The stadium fell silent for a deeply poignant memorial before the fight as ten bells sounded in memory of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who died at age 46 in September.
It was the first major televised match card in the city since Hatton's death. As the last bell disappeared, the silence became a chant of "there's just one Ricky Hatton".
The fighting inside the ropes equaled the sentiment. The eventual winner was sent to the canvas by a powerful punch flush on the chin in the early round, rising shakily to his feet on the eight count.
But the traditional red equipment of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. On the opposite side, Rea - in rival City blue - was injured early, heavy swelling appearing under his eye as the pair landed hard punches.
The challenger, twenty-seven, landed power punches but the champion, thirty-four, fought fire with fire with powerful upward punches as the pace rarely dropped over the full distance.
The victor barely secured the result with scoring tallies of 114-114, close margin and clearer margin, but each competitor were persistent and courageous, everything their hero Hatton embodied.
