In a British boxing clash, unbeaten light heavyweight contenders Dan Azeez and Joshua Buatsi have confirmed a domestic showdown. Azeez, who recently captured the EBU title with a TKO win over Thomas Faure, has vacated the title to pursue his world aspirations and sees Buatsi as the next step in his journey.
Azeez and Buatsi, both hailing from south London, have shared many rounds of sparring together. Azeez told Sky Sports, “We’ve done plenty of rounds together, and I’m sure there are times when the switch has been turned on, so I’m sure it won’t be much of a difference in a real fight. We’re both undefeated, it’s an all-south London dust-up and we want to see who's really and truly No 1.”
After a hiatus due to promotional and managerial issues, Buatsi returned to the ring in March with a ten-round unanimous decision over Pawel Stepien. Ben Shalom, Boxxer CEO and promoter of both boxers, dispelled rumors of Azeez facing WBA world champion Dmitry Bivol, confirming Azeez vs. Buatsi as the next showdown.
Describing the matchup as one of the biggest fights in British boxing, Shalom praised both men for accepting the challenge. He remarked, “Two of the most exciting talents in a red-hot light-heavyweight division...They’ve trained together, they’ve sparred together, they know each other well, and that's what’s going to make this such a fascinating contest.” Further details, including the date and venue, will be announced soon.
Image Credit: Sky Sports