British light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet unimpressive debut to life under fresh promotional backing with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's work rate likely gained him a split decision in a competitive 10-round bout at the boxing arena.
But Parker found success, delivering effective clean blows in a contest where the techniques didn't complement each other, with constant grabbing spoiling the fight.
Two judges judged it 96-94 to the winner, with the final judge a even score.
"It wasn't my finest showing but what do champions do? They prevail," Buatsi commented in the ringside as he was met by disapproval from the audience.
The Londoner bounced back after his maiden career setback - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in last winter - to earn a twentieth professional win.
Some ringside observers believed Parker, 31, deserved the decision but the Derbyshire fighter experienced the second defeat of his 28-bout career.
The Champion Claims Win in Uneventful Match
Buatsi's progress has stalled in recent times through promotional disputes and considerable time of inactivity.
Once tipped as the future of British boxing, he now is positioned trying to realize his potential - maybe in what feels like a last chance - under fresh management.
He opened tentatively, with both competitors prepared to be aggressive in a tentative early stages.
Parker, whose only previous defeat came at super middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after damaging his hand during the bout, was making just his second appearance at the higher weight class.
By the fight's midpoint, Parker had made it competitive, causing problems for Buatsi, who worked behind a solid defense to barely take the better rounds.
The spectators' acceptance diminished because of regular grabbing, with Parker falling to the floor various instances during close exchanges.
The underdog closed well, but several stanzas were hard to judge. However, former world champion the boxing analyst - providing analysis for Dazn - had it strongly leaning for the challenger, giving Buatsi just a single round.
Buatsi progresses, but with the caliber of hard hitter Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the journey to titles - on this evidence - still looks steep.
Hatton Tribute Fuels Local Rivalry Fight
In the secondary fight, Arthur defeated Rea by close verdict in a outstanding Manchester vs Manchester contest to capture the continental belt.
The arena became quiet for a profoundly moving tribute before the fight as 10 bells rang in remembrance of the city's native Hatton, who succumbed at age 46 in last month.
It was the premier televised boxing event in the location since Hatton's death. As the concluding sound disappeared, the silence became a roar of "only one Hatton".
The action within the ring reflected the sentiment. Arthur was floored by a significant blow squarely on the chin in the early round, getting up unsteadily to his position on the referee's count.
But the red-colored attire of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. From the other corner, the opponent - in competitive blue - was injured early, significant bruising forming under his orbital area as the pair exchanged powerful shots.
Rea, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but the champion, thirty-four, matched the intensity with powerful upward punches as the pace hardly diminished over the full distance.
Arthur narrowly won the decision with scoring tallies of 114-114, close margin and 115-112, but each competitor were determined and brave, exactly what their idol the legend represented.
