British light-heavyweight Buatsi made a winning yet underwhelming debut to his career under recent management with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic bronze medallist's activity level appeared to earn him a judges' verdict in a competitive ten-round fight at the Manchester venue.
But Parker had his moments, delivering effective individual punches in a match where the techniques failed to mesh, with constant grabbing marring the fight.
The officials judged it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the final judge a 95-95 draw.
"It wasn't my best showing but what do champions do? They succeed," the victor commented in the ring as he was met by disapproval from the crowd.
The British fighter bounced back after his maiden career setback - an thrilling contest with his previous opponent in last winter - to earn a 20th career victory.
Various analysts believed the challenger, 31, should have been awarded the victory but the Derbyshire fighter endured the second defeat of his 28-fight professional journey.
The Champion Secures Win in Dull Encounter
His career development has plateaued in the past few years through promotional disputes and considerable time of inactivity.
Once tipped as the future of the British fight scene, he now is positioned trying to achieve expectations - possibly in what feels like a ultimate opportunity - under fresh management.
He began cautiously, with both competitors ready to overcommit in a calculated opening few rounds.
Parker, whose only previous defeat came at the lower weight class against his former opponent in 2022 after breaking his hand during the bout, was participating in his second appearance at light heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, the underdog had kept it close, making life awkward for the favorite, who utilized a solid defense to edge the cleaner stanzas.
The spectators' acceptance decreased amid frequent holding, with the challenger slipping to the canvas various instances during grappling.
Parker ended stronger, but multiple periods were difficult to score. Although, ex-champion Carl Frampton - commentating on the broadcast network - had it significantly in favor for Parker, scoring for Buatsi just one round.
The victor progresses, but with the caliber of hard hitter Benavidez, and Russian champion Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the journey to titles - judging by this showing - still appears challenging.
Hatton Homage Motivates Local Rivalry Fight
In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur defeated Rea by close verdict in a outstanding local rivalry contest to capture the European light heavyweight championship.
The stadium became quiet for a profoundly moving tribute ahead of the contest as a bell ceremony sounded in honor of local hero Ricky Hatton, who succumbed 46 years old in September.
It was the first major televised fight night in the location since Hatton's passing. As the final chime disappeared, the silence gave way to a chant of "there's just one Hatton".
The action within the ring equaled the emotion. The eventual winner was knocked down by a powerful punch directly to the face in the initial stage, standing uncertainly to his position on the referee's count.
But the traditional red equipment of the fighter soon advanced again. On the opposite side, the opponent - in competitive blue - was marked up quickly, significant bruising appearing under his orbital area as the duo landed powerful shots.
Rea, twenty-seven, 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 verdict with official scores of 114-114, 115-113 and wider gap, but each competitor were relentless and full of heart, all the qualities their hero the legend represented.
