Joshua Buatsi will have no doubts about what’s at stake when he steps out at the 02 Arena on Saturday night, and it’s more than just a world title shot.
The light-heavyweight star has breezed through most of his career – he is currently enjoying a streak of 15 straight wins and ten knockouts in a row – and his showdown with fellow Brit Craig Richards is arguably his biggest test of his career. As the 29-year-old says himself, this is a ‘reputation fight’.
Championship belts are up for grabs in the not-so-distant future should he get past this latest obstacle – though for Buatsi all his focus is on catching the man known as ‘Spider’ in what he is calling a ‘derby’, with both men hailing from south London.
Joshua Buatsi admits his ‘reputation is on the line’ as he prepares to face Craig Richards
Buatsi comes into the fight as the favourite after an unbeaten career with 15 straight victories
Putting in the hard yards during a gruelling camp in Arizona under the watchful eye of legendary American trainer Virgil Hunter, Buatsi has made it clear to his camp that he cannot afford to take this fight lightly.
‘My reputation is on the line,’ he told Sportsmail. ‘I won’t be silly and say it’s not much of a fight because it is. It’s important. You can call it a reputation fight.
‘The moment this fight was announced I told my team “I’ve got to take this seriously. We’ve got to take this camp to another level”.
‘It’s a big London fight. I have to put everything into it. A few people have said this is the Battle of South London. Whether it’s Richards or anyone else, it seems like a derby. If two London teams are playing each other, it’s gonna be a great match. It adds a bit of spice to it.
Buatsi is putting all his focus on beating Richards despite the possibility of world title fights
The winner of this fight will be the mandatory for Dmitri Bivol or Canelo Alvarez – who are set to rematch after the Mexican was beaten on points – but Buatsi ‘couldn’t care less’ for now
‘It’s gonna be exciting and competitive. It’s good we’ve both taken up the challenge and the public are in for a good fight. We could have waited and taken different routes but this is what it’s going to come down to.
‘My plan is to take it one round at a time. In camp, I’m always trying to improve. I feel like a much-polished version of myself.’
While knowing a victory at the 02 Arena could open doors for Buatsi, with championship belts potentially in the offing, he is determined to block out the noise and focus on catching a Spider.
‘It’s been mentioned [world title shots] and it’s something that’s there, but the fight on May 21st is what’s primary,’ he told Sportsmail. ‘It’s hard to talk about what’s coming after, because that’s not in my head at all. May 21st is the most important thing before we sit down and talk about the future.’
Buatsi has been putting in the hard yards in training and refuses to think about the future
Canelo was one high-profile name that was touted as a possible opponent for Buatsi this year – before his comprehensive defeat by Dmitri Bivol.
The winner of Buatsi and Richards will become mandatory to Bivol at 175lbs, but the Russian is set to take on the Mexican in a rematch, so Buatsi or Richards – who lost on points to Bivol last year – will have to look elsewhere for now.
Buatsi, though, is unmoved by talk about world titles for now, and said he ‘couldn’t care less’ about Bivol or Canelo.
‘I made a pledge to myself not to get into these talks at all about who’s next,’ he added. ‘If it’s Spider let’s talk about Spider. Anyone else, I couldn’t care less right now. I’ve been waking up every day in camp with one person on my mind, and it hasn’t been Canelo and it hasn’t been any of the light-heavys in England. It’s Spider I’m fighting so let’s stick to him. It’s a big fight and one I’m working hard for.’
As a Olympic Bronze medal winner in 2016, there’s always going to be that added weight on Buatsi to succeed throughout his career, but the 29-year-old insists no one puts more pressure on him than himself.
He shrugged off talk of pressure on him as an Olympic medal winner – having won Bronze at Rio 2016 – and says he puts more pressure on himself than anyone else
‘My answer has been the same since I turned pro,’ he added. ‘The pressure I put on myself surpasses what others put on me.
‘People talk about experience – May 21, whatever experience you have, show it and I’ll do the same.’
In Thursday’s final press conference, Buatsi spoke in detail about his gruelling training camp under legendary American trainer Virgil Hunter in California. Having been out there since January, away from his family, the light-heavy star is feeling more than prepared for his dust-up and is ready to unleash some frustration after putting in the hard yards.
He said Richards would ‘pay the price’ for his struggles in camp, which he admits has been mentally draining.
‘Camp has been hard,’ he said. When you pay for sparring, you demand hard sessions. If someone is not giving me good work, I’m not going to pay them. The guys who I am paying, they’re coming in hard and that’s what I want. I don’t want people who aren’t giving me 100 per cent.
Buatsi has warned Richards he will ‘pay the price’ for his gruelling camp in California
‘Being out here for so long is hard mentally but I always say there’s a price to pay in whatever you want to do. It’s a long time away from home, it’s been hard mentally, but it’s a price you pay. I’ve been out here since January, we’re in May now. It’s been a long, demanding camp.’
Hunter is a seasoned coach who has trained the likes of Andre Ward, Amir Khan and Demetrius Andrade. So, what are the biggest lessons Buatsi has learned from a trainer of his calibre?
‘The biggest thing he’s taught me is that this sport is mental,’ Buatsi goes on. ‘Physically you train but this sport is really mental.
‘I think a lot better, when the bell goes you want to let your hands go and throw haymakers. Now I think about why I’m doing something, there’s a reason behind everything.
He revealed how US trainer Virgil Hunter is making him ‘think’ before every decision in the ring
‘It’s our third full camp and going into each fight I’ve had with Virgil, people will see what we’ve been working on. He has 100 per cent progressed my career. In terms of boxing ability and the skills I’m learning in the profession I’m in, it’s been a good move. I wouldn’t change it at all.’
Buatsi is signed to Anthony Joshua’s 258 Management company and the former heavyweight world champion has played a key mentoring role in his career – guiding him and providing wisdom for his first 15 bouts.
Joshua had been looking for a new trainer following his crushing loss to Oleksandr Usyk and travelled to the United States to assess his options. The Watford-born star visited Hunter’s gym in California last year and Buatsi admits he tried to persuade Joshua to join up with him.
‘All I said was that this is an option available,’ he said. ‘It’s never been up to me who he picks as a coach. I said “bro, this is what I think”. Whatever decision he’s made will be the best thing for him.’
Buatsi said his mentor Anthony Joshua has urged him to ‘dominate’ ahead of his next fight
Buatsi also spoke of the advice AJ has given him ahead of this fight. Joshua made a name for himself with his destructive power early on his career, which began with 20 straight knockouts. Buatsi himself is on an impressive streak of 10 KOs – and Joshua wants him to continue in the same vein.
‘I’ve only just found out about that [his KO streak] because you’ve said it! It doesn’t cross my mind, but when I’m in there, I know what the fans want and what the public demand, so I try to deliver.
‘I’ve touched base with Joshua a few times and he’s just said “look to dominate”, that’s what the fans want. It’s just about going out there and putting on a show.
‘Of course you want to win but you want to look good winning. He’s just made me reinforce that. I’m training, working hard and when I fight I make sure it’s dominant in every way, so I’m looking for a dominant performance.’
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Source: Daily Mail Online