UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet underwhelming beginning to life under recent management with a points victory over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic bronze medallist's activity level likely gained him a judges' verdict in a competitive 10-round bout at the Co-op Live Arena.
But the challenger found success, landing some telling clean blows in a match where the styles didn't complement each other, with frequent clinching marring the contest.
The officials scored it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the final judge a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my finest display but how do champions respond? They win," Buatsi said in the ringside as he was greeted with boos from the crowd.
The Londoner got back to winning after his initial pro loss - an memorable fight with his previous opponent in February - to claim a 20th pro success.
Various analysts thought the challenger, 31, should have been awarded the decision but the Derbyshire fighter suffered the second defeat of his 28-fight professional journey.
Buatsi Secures Triumph in Dull Match
The fighter's advancement has stalled in the past few years through management issues and extended periods of lack of fights.
Once tipped as the rising talent of British boxing, he now finds himself trying to fulfil that early promise - perhaps in what feels like a last chance - under new promotional backing.
He opened tentatively, with neither fighter prepared to overcommit in a calculated opening few rounds.
The challenger, whose single earlier setback came at super middleweight against John Ryder in 2022 after suffering a hand injury mid-fight, was making just his second fight at the higher weight class.
By the halfway stage, Parker had made it competitive, creating difficulties for Buatsi, who operated with a solid defense to edge the better stanzas.
The spectators' acceptance decreased amid frequent holding, with the challenger going down multiple occasions during close exchanges.
The underdog closed well, but several stanzas were difficult to score. However, former world champion Carl Frampton - commentating on Dazn - had it strongly leaning for the challenger, awarding Buatsi just only one stanza.
The victor progresses, but with the likes of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Bivol leading the category, the road to world glory - based on this performance - still looks steep.
Ricky Hatton Tribute Motivates All-Manchester Battle
In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur overcame Bradley Rea by close verdict in a excellent all-Manchester battle to win the European light heavyweight championship.
The arena grew hushed for a extremely emotional tribute ahead of the contest as ten bells sounded in memory of the city's native Ricky Hatton, who succumbed aged 46 in recently.
It was the initial significant broadcast match card in the city since Hatton's death. As the concluding sound disappeared, the stillness became a shout of "there's just one Ricky Hatton".
The action within the ring equaled the feeling. The eventual winner was knocked down by a significant blow squarely on the jaw in the initial stage, rising shakily to his position on the referee's count.
But the traditional red shorts of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. On the opposite side, the opponent - in rival City blue - was injured soon, heavy swelling developing under his eye as the duo exchanged hard punches.
The challenger, 27, landed power punches but Arthur, thirty-four, fought fire with fire with stinging uppercuts as the action rarely dropped over twelve rounds.
The victor edged the verdict with scoring tallies of 114-114, 115-113 and 115-112, but each competitor were persistent and full of heart, all the qualities their idol the legend stood for.
