UK light heavyweight Buatsi made a winning yet unimpressive debut to life under recent management with a decision win over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's activity level seemingly secured him a judges' verdict in a close 10-round bout at the boxing arena.
But the challenger had his moments, connecting with powerful single shots in a fight where the styles never quite clicked, with excessive holding spoiling the fight.
The scoring judges scored it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the final judge a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my finest performance but how do champions respond? They win," Buatsi stated in the ringside as he was met by boos from the audience.
The British fighter got back to winning after his initial pro loss - an memorable fight with Callum Smith in February - to claim a 20th career victory.
Some ringside observers believed Parker, thirty-one, should have been awarded the win but the Derbyshire fighter suffered the second setback of his 28-bout career.
Buatsi Claims Triumph in Slow Match
His career development has plateaued in recent times through contract problems and considerable time of inactivity.
Once tipped as the rising talent of British boxing, he now finds himself trying to fulfil that early promise - maybe in what appears to be a last chance - under recent support.
He started carefully, with the two boxers willing to take risks in a calculated early stages.
The challenger, whose only previous defeat came at super-middleweight against his former opponent in 2022 after suffering a hand injury in the contest, was participating in his second fight at light-heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, the underdog had stayed in contention, making life awkward for the favorite, who utilized a solid defense to narrowly win the more effective stanzas.
The audience's tolerance diminished during regular grabbing, with Parker slipping to the canvas several times during clinches.
Parker finished the stronger, but many rounds were challenging to assess. Nevertheless, previous titleholder the boxing analyst - commentating on the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for the challenger, awarding Buatsi just one round.
Buatsi advances, but with the likes of hard hitter David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the road to world glory - based on this performance - still appears challenging.
Hatton Memorial Inspires All-Manchester Fight
In the secondary fight, Arthur beat Bradley Rea by divided decision in a outstanding Manchester vs Manchester fight to win the European light-heavyweight championship.
The venue became quiet for a profoundly moving memorial before the fight as a bell ceremony sounded in remembrance of local hero Hatton, who succumbed aged 46 in recently.
It was the initial significant broadcast match card in the location since the passing of Hatton. As the concluding sound ended, the stillness became a chant of "there's only one Hatton".
The action during the bout reflected the emotion. Arthur was sent to the canvas by a left hook flush on the jaw in the initial stage, standing uncertainly to his footing on the count of eight.
But the Manchester United-red shorts of Arthur soon came forward again. Across the ring, Rea - in competitive blue - was damaged early, heavy swelling appearing under his eye as the fighters exchanged powerful shots.
The challenger, twenty-seven, connected with strong blows but Arthur, 34, fought fire with fire with effective uppercuts as the pace rarely dropped over 12 rounds.
The victor edged the verdict with official scores of even score, narrow lead and wider gap, but both fighters were persistent and courageous, exactly what their inspiration Hatton embodied.
