UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet disappointing debut to life under new promoters with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic bronze medallist's work rate appeared to earn him a majority decision in a competitive ten-round fight at the Manchester venue.
But Parker landed significant shots, delivering effective single shots in a match where the approaches never quite clicked, with constant grabbing marring the fight.
Two judges judged it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the third a even score.
"It wasn't my finest display but what defines champions? They prevail," the victor said in the ring as he was met by disapproval from the spectators.
The British fighter returned to winning ways after his first professional defeat - an memorable fight with his previous opponent in last winter - to secure a twentieth professional win.
Several boxing experts thought the challenger, thirty-one, deserved the win but the Derbyshire fighter experienced the second loss of his 28-match career.
The Champion Claims Win in Slow Encounter
The fighter's advancement has stalled in recent years through contract problems and long spells of inactivity.
Once tipped as the next star of the British fight scene, he now is positioned trying to fulfil that early promise - maybe in what appears to be a ultimate opportunity - under fresh management.
He started carefully, with both competitors ready to overcommit in a calculated 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 making just his second appearance at light-heavyweight.
By the fight's midpoint, Parker had made it competitive, creating difficulties for the favorite, who operated with a solid defense to edge the more effective rounds.
The audience's tolerance wore thin amid regular grabbing, with Parker slipping to the canvas multiple occasions during grappling.
The underdog closed well, but several stanzas were challenging to assess. However, previous titleholder Carl Frampton - commentating on the broadcast network - had it strongly leaning for the challenger, awarding Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi moves on, but with the presence of hard hitter Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the journey to titles - based on this performance - still appears challenging.
Hatton Tribute Fuels Manchester Derby Battle
In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by split-decision in a outstanding all-Manchester battle to secure the continental championship.
The stadium grew hushed for a deeply poignant homage before the fight as a bell ceremony tolled in honor of local hero Hatton, who succumbed aged 46 in September.
It was the initial significant broadcast boxing event in the location since the passing of Hatton. As the final chime faded, the quiet became a shout of "only one Hatton".
The action during the bout equaled the emotion. The eventual winner was knocked down by a left hook squarely on the chin in the early round, rising shakily to his footing on the referee's count.
But the red-colored attire of the fighter soon advanced again. Across the ring, Rea - in competitive blue - was marked up early, noticeable damage appearing under his eye as the pair landed hard punches.
Rea, twenty-seven, landed power punches but the champion, 34, responded in kind with powerful upward punches as the intensity rarely dropped over the full distance.
Arthur narrowly won the decision with scoring tallies of even score, close margin and wider gap, but each competitor were determined and courageous, all the qualities their idol Hatton embodied.
