British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet unimpressive beginning to his career under fresh promotional backing with a decision win over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's punch output seemingly secured him a judges' verdict in a competitive 10-round contest at the Co-op Live Arena.
But Parker landed significant shots, landing some telling individual punches in a match where the techniques didn't complement each other, with constant grabbing spoiling the action.
The officials scored it 96-94 to the winner, with the final judge a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my greatest display but what do champions do? They win," Buatsi stated in the arena as he was faced boos from the audience.
The British fighter returned to winning ways after his maiden career setback - an memorable fight with his previous opponent in February - to secure a 20th career victory.
Various analysts felt the challenger, thirty-one, should have been awarded the win but the Derbyshire fighter suffered the second loss of his 28-match career.
The Champion Secures Triumph in Slow Affair
His career development has slowed in the past few years through management issues and long spells of inactivity.
Once tipped as the future of the British fight scene, he now finds himself trying to realize his potential - maybe in what feels like a final roll of the dice - under new promotional backing.
He began cautiously, with both competitors ready to be aggressive in a calculated early stages.
Parker, whose only previous defeat came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in 2022 after suffering a hand injury in the contest, was participating in his second fight at light heavyweight.
By the fight's midpoint, Parker had made it competitive, causing problems for Buatsi, who utilized a solid defense to edge the more effective periods.
The spectators' acceptance wore thin during regular grabbing, with Parker slipping to the canvas multiple occasions during clinches.
The underdog closed well, but several stanzas were difficult to score. However, ex-champion Carl Frampton - working with Dazn - had it significantly in favor for Parker, awarding Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi progresses, but with the likes of power puncher Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the path to championship success - judging by this showing - still looks steep.
Hatton Homage Motivates All-Manchester Contest
In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur beat Bradley Rea by close verdict in a terrific all-Manchester contest to capture the European light-heavyweight championship.
The arena fell silent for a deeply poignant memorial prior to the bout as a bell ceremony sounded in honor of local hero Ricky Hatton, who succumbed 46 years old in last month.
It was the premier televised match card in the urban center since the passing of Hatton. As the last bell faded, the stillness gave way to a roar of "only one Hatton".
The fighting within the ring equaled the emotion. Arthur was knocked down by a powerful punch squarely on the face in the early round, getting up unsteadily to his footing on the referee's count.
But the red-colored equipment of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. From the other corner, the opponent - in opposing blue - was marked up soon, heavy swelling developing under his eye as the duo landed powerful shots.
The challenger, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but the champion, 34, responded in kind with effective uppercuts as the action hardly diminished over 12 rounds.
The victor narrowly won the verdict with judges scorecards of even score, narrow lead and wider gap, but each competitor were determined and brave, all the qualities their idol the legend stood for.
