UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi secured a victory yet disappointing beginning to life under fresh promotional backing with a points victory over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic medal winner's activity level likely gained him a split decision in a close 10-round contest at the boxing arena.
But the challenger found success, connecting with powerful individual punches in a fight where the approaches never quite clicked, with constant grabbing disrupting the action.
The scoring judges had it 96-94 in favor to the winner, with the remaining official a even score.
"It wasn't my greatest performance but how do champions respond? They succeed," the victor commented in the ring as he was faced disapproval from the audience.
The Londoner returned to winning ways after his initial pro loss - an epic battle with Callum Smith in last winter - to secure a 20th career victory.
Some ringside observers thought the challenger, 31, merited the decision but the contender endured the second defeat of his 28-match career.
The Champion Claims Victory in Slow Affair
His career development has slowed in recent times through management issues and considerable time of inactivity.
Earlier forecast as the future of British boxing, he now finds himself trying to achieve expectations - perhaps in what feels like a final roll of the dice - under fresh management.
He opened tentatively, with neither fighter prepared 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 damaging his hand during the bout, was making just his second appearance at light heavyweight.
By the middle rounds, Parker had stayed in contention, creating difficulties for Buatsi, who operated with a tight guard to edge the more effective rounds.
The spectators' acceptance diminished during regular grabbing, with the challenger slipping to the canvas several times during clinches.
Parker finished the stronger, but several stanzas were challenging to assess. Nevertheless, former world champion Carl Frampton - working with Dazn - had it particularly wide for Parker, awarding Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi progresses, but with the presence of heavy hitter Benavidez, and Russian star Dmitry Bivol ruling the division, the road to world glory - based on this performance - still appears challenging.
Ricky Hatton Tribute Motivates Manchester Derby Contest
In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur beat Rea by split-decision in a outstanding Manchester vs Manchester fight to win the European light heavyweight championship.
The stadium became quiet for a deeply poignant memorial before the fight as 10 bells sounded in honor of Manchester's own Hatton, who passed away aged 46 in September.
It was the premier televised match card in the location since Hatton's death. As the last bell ended, the quiet transitioned to a roar of "there's only one Hatton".
The fighting within the ring reflected the sentiment. The eventual winner was sent to the canvas by a powerful punch directly to the chin in the early round, standing uncertainly to his feet on the count of eight.
But the traditional red shorts of Arthur soon pressed ahead again. Across the ring, the opponent - in rival City blue - was damaged quickly, noticeable damage developing under his orbital area as the duo landed powerful shots.
Rea, 27, delivered effective strikes but Arthur, thirty-four, fought fire with fire with effective uppercuts as the intensity seldom decreased over 12 rounds.
The victor barely secured the decision with judges scorecards of 114-114, close margin and clearer margin, but both fighters were determined and brave, all the qualities their hero the legend represented.
