UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet underwhelming debut to life under fresh promotional backing with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic bronze medallist's activity level likely gained him a majority decision in a competitive ten-round fight at the Manchester venue.
But the challenger landed significant shots, landing some telling individual punches in a contest where the techniques didn't complement each other, with excessive holding spoiling the fight.
Two judges judged it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the remaining official a 95-95.
"It wasn't my best showing but how do champions respond? They win," the victor commented in the arena as he was met by boos from the spectators.
The British fighter got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an epic battle with Callum Smith in last winter - to claim a twentieth professional win.
Various analysts thought the challenger, thirty-one, merited the victory but the Derbyshire fighter endured the second setback of his 28-bout career.
The Champion Secures Triumph in Slow Match
His career development has slowed in recent years through promotional disputes and extended periods of lack of fights.
Earlier forecast as the future of British boxing, he now is positioned trying to achieve expectations - perhaps in what feels like a final roll of the dice - under recent support.
He opened tentatively, with neither fighter prepared to take risks in a tentative initial rounds.
Parker, whose sole prior loss came at super middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after breaking his hand in the contest, was competing in only his second appearance at the higher weight class.
By the middle rounds, the underdog had made it competitive, creating difficulties for Buatsi, who operated with a protective stance to edge the more effective rounds.
The spectators' acceptance decreased during frequent holding, with the challenger falling to the floor several times during grappling.
The underdog ended stronger, but many rounds were difficult to score. However, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - working with the broadcast network - had it significantly in favor for Parker, scoring for Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi progresses, but with the presence of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol ruling the division, the journey to titles - on this evidence - still seems difficult.
Hatton Homage Fuels Manchester Derby Contest
In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by split-decision in a outstanding all-Manchester fight to capture the European light-heavyweight belt.
The stadium fell silent for a deeply poignant homage prior to the bout as 10 bells tolled in memory of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who succumbed aged 46 in September.
It was the first major televised fight night in the city since Hatton's passing. As the final chime ended, the silence transitioned to a chant of "there's just one Ricky Hatton".
The action inside the ropes equaled the sentiment. Arthur was sent to the canvas by a powerful punch flush on the chin in the second round, standing uncertainly to his footing on the eight count.
But the red-colored shorts of Arthur soon advanced again. On the opposite side, Rea - in opposing blue - was damaged early, significant bruising forming under his face as the fighters traded punishing blows.
Rea, twenty-seven, landed power punches but the champion, thirty-four, fought fire with fire with effective uppercuts as the intensity hardly diminished over 12 rounds.
The victor edged the verdict with official scores of 114-114, 115-113 and clearer margin, but each competitor were relentless and courageous, exactly what their hero Hatton stood for.
