British light heavyweight Buatsi secured a victory yet underwhelming beginning to life under new promoters with a points victory over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic bronze medallist's work rate seemingly secured him a judges' verdict in a tight 10-round bout at the Co-op Live Arena.
But Parker found success, landing some telling individual punches in a match where the styles didn't complement each other, with frequent clinching marring the contest.
The scoring judges scored it 96-94 in favor to Buatsi, with the remaining official a even score.
"It wasn't my finest performance but how do champions respond? They prevail," the victor commented in the ringside as he was met by boos from the crowd.
The Londoner returned to winning ways after his first professional defeat - an epic battle with his previous opponent in last winter - to earn a 20th career victory.
Some ringside observers believed the challenger, thirty-one, should have been awarded the victory but the Derbyshire fighter experienced the second setback of his 28-bout career.
Buatsi Claims Triumph in Slow Encounter
Buatsi's progress has stalled in the past few years through contract problems and long spells of inactivity.
Previously predicted as the future of British boxing, he now stands trying to achieve expectations - possibly in what seems like a last chance - under new promotional backing.
He began cautiously, with the two boxers ready to be aggressive in a calculated opening few rounds.
The challenger, whose only previous defeat came at super middleweight against his former opponent in two years ago after suffering a hand injury in the contest, was competing in only his second bout at the higher weight class.
By the middle rounds, Parker had kept it close, making life awkward for the favorite, who operated with a tight guard to narrowly win the cleaner periods.
The audience's tolerance decreased during constant clinching, with Parker slipping to the canvas various instances during close exchanges.
Parker finished the stronger, but several stanzas were difficult to score. Although, previous titleholder Carl Frampton - commentating on the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for Parker, giving Buatsi just only one stanza.
Buatsi advances, but with the likes of hard hitter David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Bivol leading the category, the path to championship success - based on this performance - still appears challenging.
Hatton Homage Fuels All-Manchester Fight
In the co-main event, Lyndon Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by divided decision in a excellent all-Manchester contest to capture the European light heavyweight championship.
The arena grew hushed for a deeply poignant memorial before the fight as a bell ceremony tolled in honor of local hero Hatton, who died 46 years old in last month.
It was the initial significant broadcast fight night in the urban center since Hatton's death. As the last bell faded, the quiet transitioned to a roar of "there's just one Hatton".
The competition within the ring matched the sentiment. The eventual winner was knocked down by a left hook squarely on the chin in the early round, getting up unsteadily to his feet on the referee's count.
But the Manchester United-red shorts of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. From the other corner, the opponent - in rival City blue - was marked up quickly, heavy swelling appearing under his orbital area as the duo landed powerful shots.
The challenger, 27, landed power punches but the champion, thirty-four, matched the intensity with powerful upward punches as the action seldom decreased over twelve rounds.
Arthur narrowly won the decision with official scores of draw, 115-113 and clearer margin, but the two athletes were determined and brave, all the qualities their idol the legend represented.
