Joshua Buatsi Takes On Willy Hutchinson Risk As Patient Wait For Title Shot Goes On
There isn’t much more Joshua Buatsi can do to put himself in prime position for a shot at a light-heavyweight world title.
Buatsi (18-0-0 13 KO) already won a WBA title eliminator against fellow Londoner and close friend Dan Azeez in February to be the next in line to challenge for that particular belt, currently held by Dimitrii Bivol. He is also the top-ranked contender with the WBO, whose world title is in the possession of Artur Beterbiev, the Russian-Canadian knockout artist who also holds the WBC and IBF straps.
Had the schedule initially gone to plan, Buatsi would have hoped to challenge for one of these titles by the summer of 2025.
Bivol and Beterbiev were set for their long-awaited undisputed showdown on June 1 in Riyadh, where they were expected to complete a stacked night of boxing preceded by the Matchroom Boxing vs Queensberry Promotions 5-vs-5 event. A contractually obligated rematch would then have taken place towards the end of the year.
However, Beterbiev suffered a knee injury during his training camp just weeks before the bout, leaving the unified champion requiring surgery and forcing the fight back to October 14. The rematch, while not yet confirmed, will likely now happen around March or April, pushing any title defenses for the winner back to at least the fall of 2025.
Buatsi Bides Time For Title Shot
A year is a long time in boxing, and Buatsi has already seen the landscape shift in the light-heavyweight division in just the past few months. The 31-year-old has the strongest case to be first in line for a crack at the undisputed champion, but the recent arrivals of David Benavidez and David Morrell have further complicated the situation.
After growing impatient of waiting for a shot at unified super-middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez that never came, Benavidez stepped up to 175lbs and immediately claimed the WBC’s interim belt by beating former world title holder Oleksandr Gvozdyk in June. That he has remained permanently at light-heavy is reportedly due to assurances from WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman that he will fight for the world title imminently.
Morrell soon followed suit. While his attempt to secure a shot at Canelo wasn’t as lengthy as Benavidez’s, the Cuban still decided to switch divisions for a faster route to a world title. He secured the WBA’s ‘regular’ title by beating Radivoje Kalajdzic in August.
Light-Heavyweight Division Stacked
Meanwhile, the IBF is generally regarded as the quickest route to a world title considering the sanctioning body’s strict rules over mandatory fights, so there is every possibility it strips the undisputed champion if he cannot fulfill his obligatory duties. However, Buatsi is not ranked by the IBF, so that is not a viable option.
With the increased competition, Buatsi has little choice but to pursue challenging fights to preserve his status at the top of the division, enhance his case for a world title fight, and keep himself sharp for when the shot eventually comes.
He was expected to take on fellow top-ranked contender Anthony Yarde but negotiations collapsed, leading instead to Saturday’s showdown with Willy Hutchinson (18-1-0 13 KO). Their bout will be part of an exciting card at Wembley Stadium in London, headlined by the IBF heavyweight fight between champion Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua. It will also act as a WBO title eliminator.
While the rest of the fighters on the card have generally been respectful towards their opponents, Buatsi v Hutchinson has been simmering with tension and bad blood for months. They almost came to blows during a media event, with the usually calm and composed Buatsi grabbing his Scottish rival by the throat. Any suggestion, though, that the eccentric and outspoken Hutchinson is getting under his skin has been rebutted.
Buatsi v Hutchinson To Deliver Fireworks
“I don’t care how he’s coming across or what he’s saying or what he’s not saying,” Buatsi said. “Whatever he’s doing, he’s meant to be doing, so that’s good on his side. It’s just if he says something that’s out of line to me, I’m going to have to pull him and check him.
“It’s a great fight. Great styles. You guys will see how I deal with someone that’s going to move or not move and switch-hit – all of that – and we’ll see how he deals with someone that’s got a style like me, which I don’t think he’s come across.”
Buatsi is considered the favorite to win Saturday’s bout, with the bookmakers’ odds placing his chances at around 80 percent for victory. Hutchinson, however, enters the bout following a very impressive victory over Craig ‘Spider’ Richards in June, delivering a more convincing display than Buatsi did against the same opponent in 2022.
“Buatsi’s good,” the 26-year-old Scot told BoxingScene. “He’s a good, strong fighter, but he’s on similar lines to Craig Richards. I said it about Craig Richards and I’m going to say it about Buatsi – I’m going to punch absolute holes in him.”
It’s a fight that promises to deliver fireworks and should Buatsi emerge victorious, it will only strengthen his position for his long-awaited world title shot – whenever that comes.
