British light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet unimpressive start to his career under recent management with a points victory over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic bronze medallist's punch output likely gained him a majority decision in a close 10-round contest at the Manchester venue.
But the challenger landed significant shots, landing some telling clean blows in a fight where the techniques never quite clicked, with frequent clinching disrupting the fight.
The officials scored it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the remaining official a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my finest performance but what defines champions? They succeed," the victor stated in the ring as he was greeted with disapproval from the crowd.
The British fighter got back to winning after his maiden career setback - an thrilling contest with his previous opponent in February - to claim a twentieth professional win.
Some ringside observers felt the challenger, thirty-one, should have been awarded the victory but the British boxer suffered the second defeat of his 28-match career.
The Champion Secures Triumph in Uneventful Encounter
His career development has slowed in recent times through promotional disputes and long spells of inactivity.
Earlier forecast as the future of the British fight scene, he now stands trying to realize his potential - maybe in what appears to be a last chance - under fresh management.
He opened tentatively, with both competitors prepared to be aggressive in a cagey opening few rounds.
Parker, whose single earlier setback came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in two years ago after damaging his hand mid-fight, was participating in his second bout at the higher weight class.
By the middle rounds, the underdog had stayed in contention, creating difficulties for Buatsi, who worked behind a tight guard to barely take the better periods.
The audience's tolerance wore thin because of constant clinching, with the challenger going down multiple occasions during close exchanges.
Parker finished the stronger, but several stanzas were hard to judge. Nevertheless, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - working with the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for Parker, awarding Buatsi just a single round.
Buatsi moves on, but with the presence of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the path to championship success - based on this performance - still seems difficult.
Ricky Hatton Homage Fuels All-Manchester Battle
In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur overcame Rea by split-decision in a outstanding Manchester vs Manchester battle to secure the European light heavyweight title.
The arena became quiet for a extremely emotional tribute ahead of the contest as 10 bells tolled in honor of Manchester's own Ricky Hatton, who died aged 46 in recently.
It was the first major televised match card in the urban center since Hatton's passing. As the concluding sound disappeared, the quiet became a roar of "there's just one Hatton".
The competition inside the ropes equaled the emotion. Arthur was floored by a significant blow directly to the face in the initial stage, rising shakily to his footing on the count of eight.
But the traditional red equipment of Arthur soon came forward again. Across the ring, the opponent - in rival City blue - was damaged soon, heavy swelling forming under his eye as the fighters exchanged punishing blows.
Rea, 27, landed power punches but Arthur, thirty-four, matched the intensity with powerful upward punches as the intensity hardly diminished over the full distance.
The victor edged the decision with judges scorecards of draw, 115-113 and 115-112, but the two athletes were determined and full of heart, everything their inspiration the legend represented.
