Joshua Buatsi vs. Craig Richards | DAZN - 21 May 2022

[jameswilson]

Get one of the heavyweight prospects on there in a step up.

Maybe even offer to stick Frazer Clarke v Enguema on there assuming he’ll be healed up.

[margaret thatcher]

balski got the sh!t pounded out of him by masternak, but i guess babby the cabby is entertaining regardless of the opponent. and who knows, if that french dude had him on queer street.......

[maverick23]

Get one of the heavyweight prospects on there in a step up.

Maybe even offer to stick Frazer Clarke v Enguema on there assuming he’ll be healed up.

Clarke’s with Boxxer so won’t happen on a Matchroom DAZN show.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Undercard Press Release

Alen Babic will look to keep his knockout streak going when he takes on Adam Balski for the vacant WBC Silver Bridgerweight Title on the undercard of Joshua Buatsi’s huge domestic Light-Heavyweight clash with Craig Richards at The O2 in London on Saturday May 21, live worldwide on DAZN (excluding New Zealand and Australia).

The big-hitting Croat took six rounds to take out Frenchman David Spilmont on the undercard of Joseph Parker’s rematch with Derek Chisora last time out in December – taking ‘The Savage’s’ record to ten knockouts from ten fights since turning pro in July 2019.

Northampton’s WBC and IBF Super-Lightweight World Champion Chantelle Cameron (15-0, 8 KOs) defends her crowns against Argentina’s former World Champion Victoria Noelia Bustos (23-6) as she waits for a date for her huge Undisputed clash with WBA and WBO ruler Kali Reis.

Liverpool’s Robbie Davies Jr (22-3, 15 KOs) looks to build on his impressive stoppage win over Henry Lundy back in December when he puts his WBA Continental Super-Lightweight Title on the line against another American Javier Molina (22-4, 9 KOs).

Catford’s Ellie Scotney (4-0) was made to work hard as she battled past Jorgelina Guanini to earn the WBA Intercontinental Super-Bantamweight crown at the famous Alexandra Palace in February – she puts that belt on the line against Argentina’s former World Champion Maria Cecilia Roman (16-6-1).

Elsewhere on the card there’s action for Takeley Light-Heavyweight youngster ‘The Gentleman’ John Hedges (5-0, 1 KO), former Team GB Olympian turned Cruiserweight prospect Cheavon Clarke (1-0, 1 KO) and London Super-Lightweight talent Shiloh ‘Sugar Shy’ Defreitas (3-0, 2 KOs).

[gregregegg]

I rate this card for a standard Dazn, Kinda surprised there using babic on it when they have such a good main event. Card would of been fine without that addition, and its a pretty fun addition. Guess they are trying to sell out the O2, takes a bit of doing.

[margaret thatcher]

buatsi will pound craig, dont get fooled by craig getting some generous close cards vs a coasting bivol

but ya it's a solid card for sure, just wish there wasnt 20 rounds of womens boxing scheduuled, it's such a buzzkill when they stick it before a main event or between decent mens fight. just stick it on at the start and get it over with

also hope the propsects have reasonably ambitious tests, at least better than the atrocious opponents theyve faced so far. okay hedges and frietas are early 20s, but clark at minimum should be fighting a winner with half a pulse, maybe a mark little or daniel mendez area title type. dude is 32 this year

[gregregegg]

Cards were kind to richards, but it was a competitive fight. definatly a close last couple of rounds. I strongly favor buatsi, but its defiantly a step up in my eyes and a live fight.

interestingly bookies are giving simular odds on Richards vs Buatsi, Fury vs whyte, and Shakur vs valdez..... Bivol and canelo is a closer odds but still fits into the ballpark. This, and those fights listed are that "strong favorite, but live fight" category for me.

[margaret thatcher]

eh, bivol was clearly coasting, as he often does. richards basically won a couple rounds at the end when bivol had a big lead and stopped really fighting much. dont think he ever got the better of bivol prior to that and its not something that really makes me give craig a boost here. richards was probably even or slightly losing to pitters prior to the stoppage before that fight and had drawn with sugden just before.

dont think richards is close to buatsi's level. would love to see him vs bolotniks though, that would be a good one,. to me this fight is on the same level as buatsi vs bolotniks, not a step up. should still be decently entertaining though and is prob tied with bolo for his best opponent, just think he's way too good for this level and should be stepped up .tbf didnt they have vlasov originally

buatsi vs bolo would be a 50-50 battle, hope they make it after this one

[margaret thatcher]

buatsi vs vlasov

bolo vs richards chief support

jordan thompson vs luke watkins

chev vs david jamieson


make it eddeh, i'll sit through 30 rounds of bird's boxing to watch that

[maverick23]

I rate this card for a standard Dazn, Kinda surprised there using babic on it when they have such a good main event. Card would of been fine without that addition, and its a pretty fun addition. Guess they are trying to sell out the O2, takes a bit of doing.

I’d be surprised if it even fills the lower bowl at the O2. None of the fighters have shown the ability in the past to sell good volumes (unless I’m missing something) and whilst it’s a good main event, I’d be surprised if it does 10k tickets let alone nearly 20k.

[gregregegg]

I rate this card for a standard Dazn, Kinda surprised there using babic on it when they have such a good main event. Card would of been fine without that addition, and its a pretty fun addition. Guess they are trying to sell out the O2, takes a bit of doing.

I’d be surprised if it even fills the lower bowl at the O2. None of the fighters have shown the ability in the past to sell good volumes (unless I’m missing something) and whilst it’s a good main event, I’d be surprised if it does 10k tickets let alone nearly 20k.

Yea, 20k ticks is pretty tough no men's world title, and no sky hype. especially when 90000 potential ticket buyers went less than a month prior.

Also clashed with Parker vs Andrade (mental clash to have)

Bet Eddie wishes the Romford bulls hand had healed. Nice wild card to pull out 2 weeks out of ticket sales look embracing.

[maverick23]

I rate this card for a standard Dazn, Kinda surprised there using babic on it when they have such a good main event. Card would of been fine without that addition, and its a pretty fun addition. Guess they are trying to sell out the O2, takes a bit of doing.

I’d be surprised if it even fills the lower bowl at the O2. None of the fighters have shown the ability in the past to sell good volumes (unless I’m missing something) and whilst it’s a good main event, I’d be surprised if it does 10k tickets let alone nearly 20k.

Yea, 20k ticks is pretty tough no men's world title, and no sky hype. especially when 90000 potential ticket buyers went less than a month prior.

Also clashed with Parker vs Andrade (mental clash to have)

Bet Eddie wishes the Romford bulls hand had healed. Nice wild card to pull out 2 weeks out of ticket sales look embracing.

Yeah - Fisher would have been perfect for this but I think it’s a couple of months too early for him. The last interview I heard with him he was saying he’s looking to come back in July at Fight Camp.

[Ruthless-RKO]

eh, bivol was clearly coasting, as he often does.

He's known for it.

[gregregegg]

So for the UK in may there are only 3 shows from top dog promoters. Of those two are good real shows, one is a fun tournament novelty... And the 2 real shows are on the same night.

That's just dogshit for the fans, fuk flip a coin loser has to swap to the Friday or a different weekend... Or at least early...

[Ruthless-RKO]

[gregregegg]

bivols win is probably good for this.

I expect to hear a few "Craig Richards gave bivol a harder night than Canelo" comments in the lead up.

And I expect to hear a few " buatsi beat Craig Richards better than bivol" afterwards.

Both these statements may not be lies, but they still feel misleading. But if I was a promoter I'd be loading these up statements up.

[Ruthless-RKO]

bivols win is probably good for this.

I expect to hear a few "Craig Richards gave bivol a harder night than Canelo" comments in the lead up.

And I expect to hear a few " buatsi beat Craig Richards better than bivol" afterwards.

Both these statements may not be lies, but they still feel misleading. But if I was a promoter I'd be loading these up statements up.

Yeh. We’re gonna gear Bivol’s name a lot.

Tbh, Bivol probably got the Canelo fight on the back of Richards and Castillo fights.

[garethhop]

10 days to go and this event has barely sold anything. Looks set up for about 8-9,000 but maybe a quarter sold? Just amazing really in terms of what Matchroom used to be able to do.

Really like the main event but paper thin card.

[Ruthless-RKO]

10 days to go and this event has barely sold anything. Looks set up for about 8-9,000 but maybe a quarter sold? Just amazing really in terms of what Matchroom used to be able to do.

Really like the main event but paper thin card.

There will be a DVD out in a few eyars..

The rise and fall of Matchroom Boxing under Eddie Hearn

[maverick23]

10 days to go and this event has barely sold anything. Looks set up for about 8-9,000 but maybe a quarter sold? Just amazing really in terms of what Matchroom used to be able to do.

Really like the main event but paper thin card.

There will be a DVD out in a few eyars..

The rise and fall of Matchroom Boxing under Eddie Hearn

Steady on. In the last 2 weeks they’ve pretty much sold out out MSG for the biggest women’s fight ever and then had promoted at the time the P4P number 1 at the MGM.

They’ve massively taken their eyes off the ball in the U.K. though re: building fighters. Buatsi should have been getting out at least 3 times a year against opponents that people either know about or are semi threatening (unlike that French guy he fought). They didn’t even have a venue sorted when this fight was announced so lost some impetus with that but I was expecting Matchroom to be giving it the hard sell now really and it hasn’t really happened.

[Ruthless-RKO]

10 days to go and this event has barely sold anything. Looks set up for about 8-9,000 but maybe a quarter sold? Just amazing really in terms of what Matchroom used to be able to do.

Really like the main event but paper thin card.

There will be a DVD out in a few years..

The rise and fall of Matchroom Boxing under Eddie Hearn

Steady on. In the last 2 weeks they’ve pretty much sold out out MSG for the biggest women’s fight ever and then had promoted at the time the P4P number 1 at the MGM.

They’ve massively taken their eyes off the ball in the U.K. though re: building fighters. Buatsi should have been getting out at least 3 times a year against opponents that people either know about or are semi threatening (unlike that French guy he fought). They didn’t even have a venue sorted when this fight was announced so lost some impetus with that but I was expecting Matchroom to be giving it the hard sell now really and it hasn’t really happened.

It was joke..

but he has taken his eye off the ball in the UK, it's been a few years, or you can say when he started Matchroom USA. Cards are much thinner, building up boxers, everything has slowed down in the UK.

[jameswilson]

10 days to go and this event has barely sold anything. Looks set up for about 8-9,000 but maybe a quarter sold? Just amazing really in terms of what Matchroom used to be able to do.

Really like the main event but paper thin card.

There will be a DVD out in a few eyars..

The rise and fall of Matchroom Boxing under Eddie Hearn

Frig me how many years have you guys been praying for that DVD now.


Fury signs for Wueensbury and Arum - gahhhhhhh that’s it. All over for Hearn!

AJ loses to Ruiz - nehhhhhhhhhhh that’s it it’s over for Hearn!!!


Leaves for DAZN - - nehhhhhhhhhhhh that’s it!

[Ruthless-RKO]

10 days to go and this event has barely sold anything. Looks set up for about 8-9,000 but maybe a quarter sold? Just amazing really in terms of what Matchroom used to be able to do.

Really like the main event but paper thin card.

There will be a DVD out in a few eyars..

The rise and fall of Matchroom Boxing under Eddie Hearn

Frig me how many years have you guys been praying for that DVD now.


Fury signs for Wueensbury and Arum - gahhhhhhh that’s it. All over for Hearn!

AJ loses to Ruiz - nehhhhhhhhhhh that’s it it’s over for Hearn!!!


Leaves for DAZN - - nehhhhhhhhhhhh that’s it!

Who's "you guys"?

I couldn't care less about the whole thing personally..

Even through those times you just mentioned. Matchroom are one of, if not the biggest boxing promotion in the world.

[mickey1975]

James, why haven't Matchroom gone for the McCormack boys, Whittaker, etc? Their British roster is pretty week. I know all the names so don't need telling but a lot are coming off losses, Ryder should be, or heading for one.

[jameswilson]

James, why haven't Matchroom gone for the McCormack boys, Whittaker, etc? Their British roster is pretty week. I know all the names so don't need telling but a lot are coming off losses, Ryder should be, or heading for one.

I don't know that they haven't to be fair, although you'll probably be able to tell us who made an offer to certain Olympians. I think Hearn said in an interview about Whittaker that Sky/Boxxer offered more money.

Even on equal money I'd acknowledge that they are always going to pick Sky. It's a much safer bet. Matchroom as a business have enough capital and other arms to their business that they can ride out the risk of Dazn. An Olympic medalist may not be able to ride that risk out if it goes to the pan.

We'll just see if Boxxer have enough shows to keep the Olympians active enough over the initial years.