UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet disappointing start to his career under fresh promotional backing with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's work rate appeared to earn him a judges' verdict in a competitive ten-round contest at the Manchester venue.
But the challenger had his moments, delivering effective individual punches in a match where the approaches didn't complement each other, with frequent clinching disrupting the fight.
The officials had it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the final judge a 95-95.
"It wasn't my best display but what defines champions? They succeed," Buatsi commented in the arena as he was faced boos from the crowd.
The British fighter bounced back after his first professional defeat - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in last winter - to claim a 20th pro success.
Some ringside observers felt the challenger, thirty-one, merited the win but the British boxer experienced the second setback of his 28-bout professional journey.
The Champion Earns Triumph in Dull Match
Buatsi's progress has slowed in recent times through contract problems and long spells of lack of fights.
Previously predicted as the future of the British fight scene, he now finds himself trying to realize his potential - possibly in what appears to be a ultimate opportunity - under new promotional backing.
He started carefully, with neither fighter ready to overcommit in a cagey early stages.
The challenger, whose single earlier setback came at super-middleweight against his former opponent in two years ago after breaking his hand mid-fight, was making just his second bout at the higher weight class.
By the middle rounds, Parker had stayed in contention, causing problems for the favorite, who utilized a solid defense to edge the better periods.
The spectators' acceptance diminished amid regular grabbing, with Parker going down several times during close exchanges.
Parker finished the stronger, but multiple periods were difficult to score. Nevertheless, former world champion the boxing analyst - providing analysis for the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for the challenger, awarding Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi progresses, but with the likes of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Russian star Bivol leading the category, the path to championship success - on this evidence - still looks steep.
Ricky Hatton Homage Fuels Manchester Derby Battle
In the secondary fight, Arthur overcame Rea by split-decision in a excellent local rivalry battle to secure the European light-heavyweight belt.
The stadium fell silent for a profoundly moving memorial ahead of the contest as ten bells sounded in remembrance of Manchester's own Hatton, who died at age 46 in recently.
It was the premier televised match card in the urban center since Hatton's passing. As the concluding sound ended, the silence gave way to a shout of "there's only one Ricky Hatton".
The action during the bout equaled the emotion. Arthur was sent to the canvas by a powerful punch flush on the jaw in the early round, rising shakily to his position on the referee's count.
But the traditional red shorts of Arthur soon advanced again. On the opposite side, Rea - in competitive blue - was marked up early, noticeable damage developing under his eye as the fighters traded punishing blows.
Rea, twenty-seven, connected with strong blows but Arthur, 34, fought fire with fire with powerful upward punches as the action hardly diminished over the full distance.
Arthur edged the verdict with judges scorecards of 114-114, 115-113 and clearer margin, but the two athletes were persistent and brave, all the qualities their hero Hatton represented.
