British light heavyweight Buatsi secured a victory yet underwhelming start to life under new promoters with a decision win over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic bronze medallist's work rate seemingly secured him a majority decision in a tight ten-round fight at the Co-op Live Arena.
But Parker had his moments, landing some telling clean blows in a match where the styles never quite clicked, with constant grabbing marring the fight.
The officials scored it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the third a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my greatest display but what do champions do? They win," the victor stated in the arena as he was faced negative reactions from the audience.
The British fighter bounced back after his initial pro loss - an memorable fight with his previous opponent in last winter - to secure a 20th career victory.
Some ringside observers felt Parker, thirty-one, should have been awarded the decision but the British boxer suffered the second setback of his 28-match career.
The Champion Earns Triumph in Dull Affair
His career development has slowed in the past few years through promotional disputes and extended periods of inactivity.
Once tipped as the future of British boxing, he now finds himself trying to fulfil that early promise - perhaps in what feels like a ultimate opportunity - under fresh management.
He opened tentatively, with both competitors prepared to overcommit in a cagey initial rounds.
Parker, whose only previous defeat came at super-middleweight against John Ryder in two years ago after damaging his hand during the bout, was participating in his second bout at light-heavyweight.
By the fight's midpoint, the underdog had stayed in contention, making life awkward for the favorite, who utilized a protective stance to barely take the more effective periods.
The audience's tolerance decreased amid frequent holding, with the challenger going down several times during clinches.
Parker closed well, but many rounds were challenging to assess. Nevertheless, previous titleholder Carl Frampton - working with the broadcast network - had it particularly wide for Parker, awarding Buatsi just a single round.
The victor moves on, but with the presence of hard hitter David Benavidez, and Eastern European fighter Dmitry Bivol leading the category, the path to championship success - on this evidence - still looks steep.
Hatton Tribute Fuels All-Manchester Contest
In the supporting bout, Lyndon Arthur overcame Bradley Rea by divided decision in a terrific Manchester vs Manchester fight to capture the European light heavyweight championship.
The venue became quiet for a deeply poignant memorial ahead of the contest as ten bells tolled in memory of the city's native Ricky Hatton, who passed away at age 46 in recently.
It was the first major televised match card in the urban center since Hatton's passing. As the final chime disappeared, the stillness gave way to a roar of "only one Ricky Hatton".
The fighting within the ring matched the sentiment. Arthur was knocked down by a significant blow squarely on the face in the second round, getting up unsteadily to his position on the referee's count.
But the Manchester United-red shorts of Arthur soon advanced again. From the other corner, Rea - in opposing blue - was marked up early, heavy swelling developing under his eye as the duo exchanged hard punches.
Rea, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but Arthur, thirty-four, fought fire with fire with powerful upward punches as the action seldom decreased over the full distance.
The victor narrowly won the decision with official scores of draw, close margin and wider gap, but both fighters were relentless and full of heart, exactly what their hero Hatton stood for.
