UK light heavyweight Buatsi made a winning yet unimpressive debut to life under recent management with a points victory over Zach Parker in Manchester.
The Olympic bronze medallist's punch output seemingly secured him a judges' verdict in a close ten-round contest at the Co-op Live Arena.
But Parker landed significant shots, landing some telling single shots in a contest where the styles failed to mesh, with frequent clinching disrupting the contest.
The officials had it 96-94 in favor to Buatsi, with the third a 95-95.
"It wasn't my best display but what defines champions? They win," Buatsi commented in the arena as he was greeted with negative reactions from the crowd.
The Londoner returned to winning ways after his initial pro loss - an epic battle with his previous opponent in last winter - to earn a 20th pro success.
Some ringside observers felt Parker, 31, merited the victory but the Derbyshire fighter suffered the second setback of his 28-match professional journey.
The Champion Earns Triumph in Dull Affair
The fighter's advancement has slowed in recent times through promotional disputes and considerable time of inactivity.
Previously predicted as the future of the British fight scene, he now finds himself trying to realize his potential - perhaps in what appears to be a final roll of the dice - under recent support.
He began cautiously, with both competitors prepared to overcommit in a tentative opening few rounds.
Parker, whose single earlier setback came at super-middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after damaging his hand mid-fight, was participating in his second fight at light heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, Parker had stayed in contention, creating difficulties for the favorite, who worked behind a solid defense to edge the cleaner periods.
The crowd's patience diminished because of frequent holding, with the challenger going down various instances during clinches.
The underdog finished the stronger, but many rounds were challenging to assess. Although, former world champion the boxing analyst - providing analysis for Dazn - had it particularly wide for Parker, giving Buatsi just one round.
The victor moves on, but with the presence of power puncher David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Bivol ruling the division, the path to championship success - on this evidence - still seems difficult.
Hatton Homage Motivates Local Rivalry Contest
In the secondary fight, Arthur overcame Rea by split-decision in a outstanding local rivalry fight to win the European light-heavyweight belt.
The venue became quiet for a extremely emotional memorial before the fight as a bell ceremony tolled in memory of Manchester's own Hatton, who succumbed at age 46 in September.
It was the premier televised match card in the city since Hatton's death. As the concluding sound disappeared, the silence became a shout of "only one Hatton".
The fighting inside the ropes equaled the feeling. Arthur was sent to the canvas by a left hook directly to the face in the second round, rising shakily to his feet on the referee's count.
But the traditional red attire of the fighter soon advanced again. Across the ring, the opponent - in opposing blue - was marked up quickly, heavy swelling forming under his face as the fighters traded powerful shots.
The challenger, 27, connected with strong blows but the champion, 34, fought fire with fire with stinging uppercuts as the action rarely dropped over the full distance.
The victor edged the result with official scores of draw, narrow lead and clearer margin, but each competitor were determined and full of heart, all the qualities their inspiration the legend embodied.
