UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet disappointing start to his career under new promoters with a points victory over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's activity level likely gained him a judges' verdict in a competitive ten-round fight at the Manchester venue.
But Parker had his moments, landing some telling clean blows in a match where the techniques failed to mesh, with excessive holding spoiling the fight.
Two judges scored it 96-94 for to the winner, with the third a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my finest showing but what do champions do? They succeed," Buatsi commented in the ring as he was faced disapproval from the spectators.
The Londoner returned to winning ways after his first professional defeat - an epic battle with Callum Smith in last winter - to claim a 20th pro success.
Several boxing experts felt Parker, thirty-one, should have been awarded the decision but the Derbyshire fighter endured the second loss of his 28-match career.
The Champion Claims Triumph in Slow Affair
His career development has plateaued in recent times through promotional disputes and long spells of inactivity.
Previously predicted as the future of British boxing, he now finds himself trying to achieve expectations - possibly in what appears to be a last chance - under fresh management.
He started carefully, with both competitors willing to be aggressive in a cagey early stages.
Parker, whose sole prior loss came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in 2022 after suffering a hand injury during the bout, was making just his second bout at light heavyweight.
By the fight's midpoint, Parker had made it competitive, causing problems for the favorite, who operated with a protective stance to barely take the cleaner rounds.
The audience's tolerance decreased amid regular grabbing, with the challenger slipping to the canvas various instances during grappling.
The underdog closed well, but several stanzas were difficult to score. However, ex-champion Carl Frampton - commentating on the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for Parker, giving Buatsi just a single round.
The victor advances, but with the presence of hard hitter Benavidez, and Russian champion Bivol leading the category, the path to championship success - based on this performance - still looks steep.
Hatton Memorial Motivates Manchester Derby Battle
In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur defeated Rea by split-decision in a excellent local rivalry battle to capture the European light-heavyweight belt.
The venue became quiet for a profoundly moving tribute before the fight as ten bells rang in honor of the city's native Hatton, who died aged 46 in September.
It was the premier televised fight night in the location since Hatton's death. As the concluding sound ended, the silence gave way to a shout of "there's only one Ricky Hatton".
The fighting during the bout matched the sentiment. The eventual winner was floored by a left hook flush on the face in the second round, standing uncertainly to his position on the eight count.
But the Manchester United-red attire of the fighter soon advanced again. Across the ring, Rea - in opposing blue - was marked up early, noticeable damage forming under his eye as the fighters exchanged punishing blows.
Rea, 27, landed power punches but the champion, thirty-four, matched the intensity with stinging uppercuts as the intensity hardly diminished over 12 rounds.
Arthur barely secured the decision with scoring tallies of 114-114, 115-113 and clearer margin, but the two athletes were relentless and brave, all the qualities their hero Hatton embodied.
