British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet disappointing debut to his career under new promoters with a points victory over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's work rate appeared to earn him a split decision in a tight ten-round fight at the Manchester venue.
But the challenger found success, connecting with powerful single shots in a match where the approaches never quite clicked, with excessive holding marring the fight.
The scoring judges judged it 96-94 for to the winner, with the final judge a even score.
"It wasn't my finest display but how do champions respond? They prevail," the victor commented in the ring as he was met by negative reactions from the spectators.
The Londoner got back to winning after his initial pro loss - an memorable fight with his previous opponent in last winter - to claim a 20th career victory.
Several boxing experts thought the challenger, thirty-one, deserved the decision but the British boxer experienced the second defeat of his 28-bout career.
The Champion Secures Victory in Slow Match
His career development has stalled in recent years through management issues and long spells of lack of fights.
Previously predicted as the next star of British boxing, he now finds himself trying to realize his potential - maybe in what seems like a last chance - under fresh management.
He opened tentatively, with neither fighter willing to overcommit in a calculated early stages.
Parker, whose single earlier setback came at the lower weight class against John Ryder in two years ago after damaging his hand mid-fight, was making just his second fight at light heavyweight.
By the middle rounds, Parker had kept it close, creating difficulties for Buatsi, who operated with a tight guard to narrowly win the cleaner rounds.
The spectators' acceptance decreased during regular grabbing, with the challenger slipping to the canvas various instances 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 the challenger, awarding Buatsi just only one stanza.
Buatsi moves on, but with the likes of power puncher Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol ruling the division, the path to championship success - based on this performance - still looks steep.
Hatton Tribute Motivates All-Manchester Contest
In the secondary fight, Arthur beat Bradley Rea by close verdict in a excellent all-Manchester contest to secure the European light-heavyweight championship.
The arena grew hushed for a profoundly moving homage before the fight as a bell ceremony rang in honor of local hero Hatton, who died aged 46 in September.
It was the first major televised boxing event in the location since the passing of Hatton. As the concluding sound ended, the quiet gave way to a roar of "there's just one Ricky Hatton".
The competition within the ring matched the feeling. Arthur was knocked down by a significant blow squarely on the face in the early round, getting up unsteadily to his feet on the eight count.
But the red-colored attire of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, Rea - in opposing blue - was damaged soon, significant bruising forming under his face as the pair exchanged punishing blows.
The challenger, twenty-seven, landed power punches but the champion, thirty-four, responded in kind with stinging uppercuts as the intensity seldom decreased over 12 rounds.
The victor barely secured the verdict with judges scorecards of draw, narrow lead and wider gap, but both fighters were determined and courageous, all the qualities their hero Hatton embodied.
