Joshua Buatsi

[mickey1975]

He ducked Pascal.

I can't imagine he "ducked" Pascal ??

He didn't. Pascal refused VADA. Hearn was obviously outraged as they are the gold standard of testing and didn't want to work with anyone who didn't pass them.

[joshj909]

He ducked Pascal.

I can't imagine he "ducked" Pascal ??

He didn't. Pascal refused VADA. Hearn was obviously outraged as they are the gold standard of testing and didn't want to work with anyone who didn't pass them.

It was reasonable for Buatsi/Hearn to request VADA considering Pascal's history, however, given Hearn's response to the Benn situation it has made him look like an idiot. Apparently Pascal later agreed to VADA testing but Buatsi/Hearn didn't accept the fight.

[Blueprint]

Strange. Eddie said he matched the offer from Boxxer? Then a few days later Buatsi signs for them

[maverick23]

Strange. Eddie said he matched the offer from Boxxer? Then a few days later Buatsi signs for them

You wonder what’s happened. Either Eddie’s backed down, Boxxer offered more or it could end up with the lawyers.

I rate Buatsi but I find it strange why he’s signed with Boxxer. It’ll be better for visibility but when Frank is offering Yarde and Eddie’s offering Bivol then it doesn’t make loads of sense to seemingly be targeting Dan Azeez.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Strange. Eddie said he matched the offer from Boxxer? Then a few days later Buatsi signs for them

Probably came down to Sky vs. DAZN.

What would you pick?

[jameswilson]

Strange. Eddie said he matched the offer from Boxxer? Then a few days later Buatsi signs for them

Probably came down to Sky vs. DAZN.

What would you pick?

Sky have 3 decades or so of being the best broadcaster to be with if you’re a boxer. Obviously Fury and a few others have broken away or done it without sky but they are the exceptions.

Okolie leaving meant something but not much but Buatsi was being touted for the very top and in the ring when he did make it in there he looked every bit the part. Someone mentioned an Eastman look to him but Eastman would lose round after round through low work rate whereas Buatsi has a decent output every round if you ask me and flattening Bolotniks and the other European level guy he fought shows he hits hard in that accumulating grind you down kind of way.

Only thing is who the hell have Sky got light heavyweight wise outside of Azeez? With Matchroom he had the inferior broadcaster but they had the bigger light heavyweight fights for him to take.

[maverick23]

Just listened to an interview with Shalom. Was asked about Matchroom and you could tell he didn’t really want to discuss. Said they gave time for Matchroom to match the deal and it ran out.

I’d imagine there’s nothing clear in the contract for how long they have to match so I’d expect Matchroom to say they’re going down the legal route.

Buatsi’s gone on the offensive re: DAZN so can’t see him going back there but Eddie may decide to try and tie him up a bit legally.

[ashall2]

Joshua Buatsi on why he left Matchroom/DAZN for BOXXER/Sky: "I want people to say, 'We know what channel to turn to.' I'm not gonna tell you to download an app, to type in your email… My last fight, I asked myself, 'How many watched it?' I don't think a lot of people saw it."

[maverick23]

Buatsi’s argument re:matching rights is that Eddie couldn’t match all of the terms.

Not sure how that flys given my limited knowledge of matching rights in MMA where it’s purely about the money.

He mentioned about viewers for fights couldn’t be matched as one of the points. Very true but that means the matching clause is pointless.

[garethhop]

Buatsi’s argument re:matching rights is that Eddie couldn’t match all of the terms.

Not sure how that flys given my limited knowledge of matching rights in MMA where it’s purely about the money.

He mentioned about viewers for fights couldn’t be matched as one of the points. Very true but that means the matching clause is pointless.

I think if you've not got access to the contract, then it's pointless trying to guess to be honest. As even if you've got the contract, then you'll quite likely get two differing sets of legal advice on it...

[Blueprint]

I think the harder one to explain is why he turned down the BT offer. Yarde fight guaranteed and Warren would eventually get him a title shot.

[ashall2]

Joshua Buatsi on Eddie Hearn saying he rejected £1million+ to fight Dmitry Bivol: "What were the caveats? You end up signing an extension of another 2/3 years at a channel you don't wanna be on… This guy will say anything he wants to say, I couldn't care less."

[ashall2]

I think the harder one to explain is why he turned down the BT offer. Yarde fight guaranteed and Warren would eventually get him a title shot.

Old Frank could get my mum a WBO title shot.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

I like Dev. He’s always comes across very good.

Unless I’ve missed anything.

[cormack]

I used to rate Buatsi, but not so sure these days. It's common knowledge he didn't want Pascal or Bivol when he could have easily fought both. He is known for going on extended holidays after each fight. aka going missing.

Turned a £1m for Bivol I think it was.

yeah cos he wud have been " Bivoled " and made to look ordinary

[maverick23]

I like Dev. He’s always comes across very good.

Unless I’ve missed anything.

Dev wouldn’t have been saying that if JB had signed with Frank.

Whilst I get it from an exposure point of view, it is strange to not sign with BT when they’ve got a potential crossover fight at the ready with Yarde.

[Nightmare Roy]

He ducked Pascal.

I can't imagine he "ducked" Pascal ??

He didn't. Pascal refused VADA. Hearn was obviously outraged as they are the gold standard of testing and didn't want to work with anyone who didn't pass them.

[magnus]

If he's really bothered about viewing figures he should have given Kalle a call. I hear Harlem Eubank can't pop to the shops without getting mobbed.

[maverick23]

Buatsi’s argument re:matching rights is that Eddie couldn’t match all of the terms.

Not sure how that flys given my limited knowledge of matching rights in MMA where it’s purely about the money.

He mentioned about viewers for fights couldn’t be matched as one of the points. Very true but that means the matching clause is pointless.

I think if you've not got access to the contract, then it's pointless trying to guess to be honest. As even if you've got the contract, then you'll quite likely get two differing sets of legal advice on it...

Yeah - fair enough.

I just wanted to flag that it will likely get messy.

[handsofstone]

If he's really bothered about viewing figures he should have given Kalle a call. I hear Harlem Eubank can't pop to the shops without getting mobbed.

[fizzjambo]

This is a really interesting one to me for a few reasons.

It’s got to be a sore one for Frank, who obviously pushed hard to get him. BT are a better platform than Danz and the Yarde fight is a big one. With a single warm up fight for each to build that would have been a big fight in the autumn.

For Eddie it’s a further sign of the Matchroon stagnation since the move to Danz. It seems an irreversible trend now and Buatsi has been really clear, as have others, that they just don’t see the app as a platform they rate. The only option he has is to throw money at people, but he’s been doing that for a while now and the brand has continued its slow decline. In the UK it’s looking more and more like once Joshua is done so might Eddies interest.

In Sky’s case it’s once again proof that they are the premium platform in the eyes of many fighters. Boxxer really haven’t done sod all of note and Shalom comes across as a bit of an ejjit. Despite that thought the platform is so powerful that it can continue to press on even with a bit of a passenger as a promotor. Sky are pretty much promoting their own shows these days, Shalom looks like he just faces up a few interviews and renews the licence paperwork.

Buatsi almost comes out of this least well. I thought he was a huge talent when he turned pro and, although I had a slight concern he was just a bit wee at light heavy, I thought he would be a world champion by now. This move is stunningly unambitious though. Where’s the big fight? He could have pushed himself to the limits and fought Bivol, which although a huge step up isn’t exactly the kind of fighter who was likely to give him a leathering - more a case that he’s have been soundly outboxed. He’d have lived to fight another day. A move to BT would have surely lead to a huge fight with Yarde and a great opportunity to push on from there if he won as Franks premium light heavy. Sky? Dan Azeez? It looks like he’s just looking for an easy pay day for the least risk. I’m not sure he’s as ambitious as his talent would suggest he should be, and when the going gets tough do fighters like that really want it enough to bite down and crack on? I’m not sure with Buatsi

[jwfg]

He ducked Pascal.

Pascal is the definition of half man, half PEDs.

[mickey1975]

There is a good fight on DAZN in Italy, Germaine Brown v Zucco and it’s not even being shown here.