Round-by-Round: Joshua Buatsi vs. Craig Richards - 21 May 2022

[garethhop]

Good fight. Not particularly exciting aside from round 8 but solid activity throughout.

Buatsi looked great at times but seemed to really struggle from rd 8 on.

[skanksta]

Bewildered Danny Dignum next

I refuse to belive i couldent chin that guy....

Alimony by cruel beatdown stoppage before half-way.

[1002980]

Bewildered Danny Dignum next

I refuse to belive i couldent chin that guy....

He doesn't exactly strike terror in your heart does he?

[Controversial]

I’m still to see why so many people rave about Buatsi. He just doesn’t look anything special to me, I could see Canelo beating him.

[NoScoutingReports]

Competitive fight but Buatsi did enough Richards has a good chin mind, took some belting shots in there tonight.

[Old bones Ian]

I’m still to see why so many people rave about Buatsi. He just doesn’t look anything special to me, I could see Canelo beating him.

I don't know why but that statement confuses me, how low do you rate Canelo

[SamWise72]

I’m still to see why so many people rave about Buatsi. He just doesn’t look anything special to me, I could see Canelo beating him.

I don't know why but that statement confuses me, how low do you rate Canelo

Right? He's so mediocre that the world's P4P #1 might even beat him.....

[CaptainSpacerod]

I thought Buatsi edged it but he doesn’t look world level does he.

Bellow’s card had echoes of Froch’s madcap scoring policy, no way did Buatsi win the first 7 rounds. The comms were awful too, repeatedly praising Buatsi for shots that didn’t land

[Dioufy]

I’m still to see why so many people rave about Buatsi. He just doesn’t look anything special to me, I could see Canelo beating him.

I don't know why but that statement confuses me, how low do you rate Canelo

Have a day off!

Banter. Keep up the good work

[Dioufy]

Talking Bivol next….

100% it’ll be Jean Pascal

[Verdi]

He is getting buzzed by C levle cruiser weights. Its time to fight Big Dave Allen for the cash out befor someone elese sparks him.

Given Mateus Masternak beat Balski 9-1 I’d say Masternak has a decent chance.


Rivas will absolutely marmalise Babic. Rivas has to cut a few pounds to make 225 as well doesn’t he? Think I remember him weighing in at a ripped 230-235 vs Whyte?

Think he was 240. He's fought at 250+ still being fairly lean.

[Ruthless-RKO]

117-111 I had it. no issue with close cards.

Comms and Bellew card was awful

[tigermoth87]

Buatsi is entirely mediocre. He looked poor tonight against a guy who lest we forget lost to British level Buglioni

[Glass Joe]

Buatsi is entirely mediocre. He looked poor tonight against a guy who lest we forget lost to British level Buglioni

took that fight on 5 days notice, was knackered from memory.

[maverick23]

Buatsi is entirely mediocre. He looked poor tonight against a guy who lest we forget lost to British level Buglioni

You mustn’t rate many people if Buatsi is mediocre and you think Conor Benn has been fighting bums.

Spider took the Buglioni fight on 5 days notice and moved up from Super Middle for it.

[Dioufy]

Morning after… I’m surprised so many had it close. Buatsi has a porous work rate but in his burst I think he was doing a bit more effective work and winning the closer rounds.

He needs to work on his punch output as he’s looking to get out worked by someone world level.

Good jab; didn’t use it nearly enough.

7/10 work in progress for me.
Probably better to go with Tony rather than Peter Sims.

[handsofstone]

114-114 even for me but most rounds were razor tight, a lot of lulls in both mens workrate, Buatsi the busier man early, established his jab quicker but Richards found some momentum, hurt Buatsi in the 8th and had him holding, Buatsi dropped his own work as well and Richards put together some rounds late on, it always threatened to catch fire but fell back asleep, good competitive fight and no gripes with Buatsi winning

[joshj909]

Buatsi's next fight should be, in order of preference: Bivol, Beterbiev, Zurdo, Smith Jr, Smith, Pascal, Yarde, Vlasov, Barrera. Anyone else would surely be wasting his time at this point.

[cpx2]

Buatsi's next fight should be, in order of preference: Bivol, Beterbiev, Zurdo, Smith Jr, Smith, Pascal, Yarde, Vlasov, Barrera. Anyone else would surely be wasting his time at this point.

A couple of the names lower down your list - Yarde, Vlasov, Callum Smith - I'd love to see him fight. Think he probably needs another fight before he challenges Bivol. If Richards could hurt him like he did in the 8th, Bivol will stop him.

[Dioufy]

In the Babic fight did anyone noticed them throw simultaneous right hooks that originated at Matchroom HQ and ended up in the curtain off areas of the O2?
I’ve never seen two punches miss more and they were identical; even the natural follow through weave was the same. Making a perfect pathway so they didn’t make contact with each other.
They both just laughed at each other and carried on.

[Ruthless-RKO]

In the Babic fight did anyone noticed them throw simultaneous right hooks that originated at Matchroom HQ and ended up in the curtain off areas of the O2?
I’ve never seen two punches miss more and they were identical; even the natural follow through weave was the same. Making a perfect pathway so they didn’t make contact with each other.
They both just laughed at each other and carried on.

Ha! What round was that?

[Dioufy]

Early on.
Cmon someone must’ve seen it.

[Dioufy]

Round 2 with 1-10 left on the clock

Was simultaneously left hooks

[joshj909]

Buatsi's next fight should be, in order of preference: Bivol, Beterbiev, Zurdo, Smith Jr, Smith, Pascal, Yarde, Vlasov, Barrera. Anyone else would surely be wasting his time at this point.

A couple of the names lower down your list - Yarde, Vlasov, Callum Smith - I'd love to see him fight. Think he probably needs another fight before he challenges Bivol. If Richards could hurt him like he did in the 8th, Bivol will stop him.

I agree completely to be honest. He's not made that top 10 step up yet and he needs to. I wouldn't even mind if he faced two of those you mentioned before facing a top 3 guy next year. He just needs to be more active and face top opposition in the process.

[cpx2]

Buatsi's next fight should be, in order of preference: Bivol, Beterbiev, Zurdo, Smith Jr, Smith, Pascal, Yarde, Vlasov, Barrera. Anyone else would surely be wasting his time at this point.

A couple of the names lower down your list - Yarde, Vlasov, Callum Smith - I'd love to see him fight. Think he probably needs another fight before he challenges Bivol. If Richards could hurt him like he did in the 8th, Bivol will stop him.

I agree completely to be honest. He's not made that top 10 step up yet and he needs to. I wouldn't even mind if he faced two of those you mentioned before facing a top 3 guy next year. He just needs to be more active and face top opposition in the process.

It seems a bit disingenuous of Hearn to suggest there's no levels between Richards and Bivol. Vlasov, who was already scheduled to fight Buatsi, would be perfect next. If Bivol's got to fight in the interim, put him in with Zurdo - build his US profile.