Joshua Buatsi has positioned himself for a shot at the winner of the light heavyweight unification bout between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitriy Bivol on October 12 in Saudi Arabia. Following his hard-fought split decision victory over Willy Hutchinson at Wembley Stadium on September 15, Buatsi is now the WBO interim champion and in line to challenge for the unified 175-pound crown.
The Ghana-born Londoner expressed his readiness for the challenge, stating, "If not, I wouldn’t have taken this fight. It was for the interim, the winner gets the shot, I got the win, so it’s very self-explanatory." Despite the split decision, Buatsi knocked down Hutchinson twice and controlled much of the fight, utilizing bodywork and sticking to his fundamentals to secure the victory.
Watch Buatsi vs. Hutchinson highlights: Watch
Buatsi acknowledged Hutchinson’s toughness, crediting his Scottish opponent for making the fight competitive. "Willy was tricky. I have to give him credit," Buatsi said. "He’s a hell of a tough guy... He got up every time and came back stronger."
Trained by Virgil Hunter and supported by SNAC founder Victor Conte and sprint coach Remi Korchemny, Buatsi expressed gratitude to his team for their unwavering support throughout the challenging fight week. He also reflected on the magnitude of the event, which featured the Daniel Dubois vs. Anthony Joshua heavyweight bout as the main event.
"My team, I want to shine the light on them," Buatsi said. "The support system that I’ve got, my family and my friends, I’m forever grateful... It’s been a massive build-up, I got the win, I’m forever grateful."
Read more about boxing career of Joshua Buatsi here.
Image Credit: Sky Sports