British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win 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 judges' verdict in a competitive 10-round contest at the Manchester venue.
But the challenger found success, connecting with powerful clean blows in a contest where the styles didn't complement each other, with constant grabbing marring the contest.
The officials had it 96-94 to the winner, with the final judge a 95-95.
"It wasn't my finest performance but what defines champions? They prevail," the victor stated in the arena as he was faced disapproval from the audience.
The British fighter got back to winning after his first professional defeat - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in February - to earn a 20th pro success.
Some ringside observers believed Parker, thirty-one, should have been awarded the victory but the Derbyshire fighter experienced the second setback of his 28-match professional journey.
Buatsi Earns Triumph in Slow Encounter
His career development has slowed in recent years through promotional disputes and considerable time of lack of fights.
Previously predicted as the next star of the British fight scene, he now stands trying to realize his potential - maybe in what feels like a last chance - under new promotional backing.
He started carefully, with neither fighter ready to overcommit in a cagey initial rounds.
The challenger, 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 halfway stage, Parker had stayed in contention, causing problems for the favorite, who worked behind a solid defense to barely take the cleaner stanzas.
The crowd's patience diminished amid regular grabbing, with the challenger falling to the floor several times during grappling.
The underdog finished the stronger, but many rounds were hard to judge. Although, ex-champion the boxing analyst - providing analysis for Dazn - had it significantly in favor for Parker, giving Buatsi just a single round.
Buatsi progresses, but with the presence of power puncher Benavidez, and Russian star Dmitry Bivol ruling the division, the journey to titles - on this evidence - still looks steep.
Hatton Homage Fuels All-Manchester Fight
In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur defeated Rea by split-decision in a excellent Manchester vs Manchester fight to win the continental title.
The arena became quiet for a deeply poignant tribute prior to the bout as ten bells rang in memory of local hero Hatton, who succumbed at age 46 in September.
It was the premier televised fight night in the urban center since Hatton's passing. As the concluding sound disappeared, the silence became a chant of "there's just one Hatton".
The fighting inside the ropes matched the sentiment. The eventual winner was knocked down by a significant blow directly to the face in the second round, rising shakily to his footing on the referee's count.
But the traditional red attire of the fighter soon advanced again. From the other corner, Rea - in competitive blue - was damaged quickly, noticeable damage appearing under his orbital area as the pair traded hard punches.
The challenger, twenty-seven, landed power punches but the champion, 34, matched the intensity with effective uppercuts as the action rarely dropped over the full distance.
The victor edged the result with scoring tallies of 114-114, close margin and wider gap, but the two athletes were persistent and brave, everything their hero Hatton embodied.
