BoxRec

JOSHUA BUATSI-WILLY HUTCHINSON WBO INTERIM LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT ORDERED

Willy Hutchinson landed a career-best win at the perfect time.

The WBO Championship Committee approved a request for the rising contender to challenge Joshua Buatsi for its interim light heavyweight title. A ten-day negotiation period was ordered on Sunday for the two sides to work out terms and avoid a purse bid hearing.

Hutchinson (18-1, 13 knockouts) entered the picture just one day after his June 1 victory over Craig Richards in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It came as the time period elapsed without a response as to whether England’s Anthony Yarde (25-3, 24 KOs), The Ring’s No. 4-rated light heavyweight, would commit to a fight versus Buatsi.

“On May 29, 2024, this Committee issued a purse bid order for the Buatsi/Yarde Interim Light Heavyweight Championship Contest,” WBO Championship Committee Luis Batista-Salas stated in a ruling obtained by The Ring. “The Committee outlined specific provisions, most notably granting Anthony Yarde 72 hours upon issuance of the order to personally manifest in writing to the WBO as to whether he would participate in the interim championship.

“The foregoing condition stated that failure to comply thereto would result in this Committee determining that Anthony Yarde is uninterested, and therefore, unavailable to fight. Consequently, the WBO World Championship Committee would recommend to the Ratings Committee his exclusion from the Light Heavyweight Ratings in accordance with our rules and regulations. Having the time granted to Anthony Yarde elapsed without formal communication, this Committee HEREBY rules that he’s uninterested and unavailable to proceed with the fight against Joshua Buatsi as ordered.”

Buatsi (18-0, 13 KOs), No. 3 at 175, is represented by BOXXER. Hutchinson is promoted by Queensberry.

Established promotional rights was a point of contention in the ordered round of talks between Buatsi and Yarde. Queensberry was listed as the promoter of record, despite Yarde’s contention that he was a free agent.

That distinction, in fact, was the direct cause in the delay in getting this fight over the line earlier this year.

There is no such concern in the most recent ordered round of negotiations. Hutchinson proudly represented Queensberry in the company’s celebrated 5-vs-5 tournament with Matchroom Boxing. His win over Richards kicked off the competition and paved the way for a clean sweep.

It marked the fifth straight victory for Hutchinson, who will now head into a secondary title fight.

Buatsi was previously on course to challenge for the WBA title. However, the entire division is stuck in a holding pattern.

Artur Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) and Dmitry Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) will collide on Oct. 12 for the undisputed championship. The summit meeting between the top two light heavyweights comes with every light heavyweight title at stake. Beterbiev No. 1, is the WBC, IBF and WBO champ. Bivol No. 2, has held the WBA title since 2017.

Their meeting was due to take place on June 1. However, the fight was delayed by four months when Beterbiev suffered a torn meniscus during training camp. His injury was grounds for the WBO to grant an interim title fight. The winner to become Beterbiev’s mandatory challenger.

It was the perfect opportunity at the time for Buatsi and Yarde to renew talks. The pairing was previously eyed for a June 15 show that BOXXER planned to stack as a blockbuster event. The show has moved on without this bout, which is officially dead—for now, at least.

Buatsi is also the WBA mandatory and was willing to risk his ranking for the sake of activity. A fight with Yarde was eyed even before he defeated Dan Azeez in a Feb. 3 WBA title eliminator in London.

There was hope for the fight when Buatsi’s side was in agreement to the proposed terms. Hall of Fame promoter and Queensberry founder allegedly, Yarde’s promoter, was pleased with the progress in negotiations as well.

However, Yarde threw a wrench into everyone’s plans after he claimed to be a promotional free agent. It created a standoff with Warren, who insists the two-time title challenger is still under contract.

Yarde continues to insist otherwise, an issue raised by the WBO in replacing the former title challenger with Hutchinson. An extension was requested by BOXXER’s Ben Shalom on June 1 to instead negotiate directly with Yarde. Queensberry’s Andy Ayling contacted the WBO one day later to successfully plead the case for Hutchinson.

Buatsi has emerged as a top contender, though activity has been an issue. He fought just once each in 2022 and 2023, the latter which saw Buatsi sign with BOXXER after he split from Matchroom. This ruling should keep his career moving with the emergence of a willing challenger.

Decent enough fight to keep Buatsi busy until Bivol and Beterbiev are free.

joshj909 wrote: ↑03 Jun 2024, 09:27 Decent enough fight to keep Buatsi busy until Bivol and Beterbiev are free.

Willy beats the bejaysus out of Josh. He handled Richards in a more dominant fashion

I thought he was excellent

decent fight and will be much closer than the richards scores .
I think the hutch will win tho

Would have been Yardes fight

Buatsi easily for me this one, as good as Willy looked vs Richards.

Never been high on buatsi, defo overhyped but he'll cruise this one. In fact thats probably his biggest threat, coasting to a decision and leaving it in other ppls hands.

I fancy Hutchinsons chances here. He will have to see out the 12 rounds better than he did against Richard’s though. I know he won a lot of the later rounds but he looked dead on his feet at points

The WBO love Fwank almost as much as the BBBofC do.

I thought Hutchinson’s body looked a bit soft vs Richards. Could be an interesting fight, I’ve never really rated Buatsi.

keithmoonhangover wrote: ↑04 Jun 2024, 05:55 The WBO love Fwank almost as much as the BBBofC do.

Frank's relationship with the WBO is an enduring love story.

Joshua Buatsi agrees to terms with Willy Hutchinson, date and venue TBD

A purse bid for the interim title fight between both has been avoided after the pair have reached an agreement.

According to a report from Sky Sports, light heavyweight fighters Joshua Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson are basically set to face one another for an ordered WBO interim title fight in the 175 lb division.

The fight had been ordered to purse bid which has since been put to the side as both have reportedly reached an agreement for the fight, with the date and venue still to be determined.

Buatsi is most recently coming off a unanimous decision win over Dan Azeez back in February while Hutchinson routed Craig Richards earlier this month.

With both fighters in line to fight for the interim WBO title in this outing (while the undisputed unification between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol has been postponed), the winner will be in prime position to challenge the Beterbiev vs Bivol winner.

Beterbiev vs Bivol is now expected to take place on Oct. 12, so it should make for an eventful 2025 for one of these fighters to get their big shot.

Hutchinson to look great until Buatsi irons him out

Who's gonna broadcast it?

I mean it's not PPV but at the same time, can see it being on the September Wembley undercard.

Shalom getting his fingers in there now too.

I know it was relatively early in his career, but the way Hutchison fell apart against Clarke makes me think that a smooth and tighter fighter like Buatsi will do the same against this latter version of Hutchison.
Buatsi's win over Azeez was impressive.

I haven't bee impressed by anything Buatsi has done in the eight years since he won his medal. Apparently the spars between the two when Willy was seventeen were very competitive. The activity and rounds should have done Willy the world of good, should be a great fight.

The Gratest wrote: ↑25 Jun 2024, 09:17 I know it was relatively early in his career, but the way Hutchison fell apart against Clarke makes me think that a smooth and tighter fighter like Buatsi will do the same against this latter version of Hutchison.
Buatsi's win over Azeez was impressive.

People seem to be quickly forgetting that fight

Wasn't that impressed with Hutchinson against Richards, was more a case of Richards being absolute rubbish.

Buatsi stops him imo, 7 or 8 rounds.

Daniel Dubois To Defend IBF Heavyweight Title Against Anthony Joshua At Wembley Stadium

Newly-minted IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois will make the first defense of his title against Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium on September 21.

Dubois has been crowned champion after Oleksandr Usyk, who became the undisputed ruler with a May victory over Tyson Fury, relinquished the IBF title to allow the London heavyweights to fight for the belt.

Joshua will bid to become a heavyweight champion for the third time in his lucrative and decorated career against a man he has shared sparring rounds with in the past.

Both are members of the heavyweight division’s ‘in-form club’, with Dubois coming off stoppage wins over Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic and Joshua posting one-sided victories over Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.

The Wembley stadium bill will include the WBO interim light-heavyweight title fight between 18-0 (13 KOs) Joshua Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson, 18-1 (13 KOs), a middleweight bout between European champion Tyler Denny, 19-2-3 (1 KO), and the highly-regarded Hamzah Sheeraz, 20-0 (16 KOs), and Ireland’s IBF southpaw super featherweight champion will make the first defense of the title he won from Joe Cordina in May. There is also an interesting middleweight clash between Liverpool veteran Liam Smith, 33-4-1 (20 KOs), and 15-1-1 (8 KOs) Josh Kelly, while Portsmouth lightweight Mark Chamberlain, 16-0 (12 KOs), is on the bill against fellow unbeaten contender Josh Padley, 14-0 (4 KOs).

There was strong speculation that the heavyweight rematch between Fabio Wardley and Frazer Clarke would be included on the bill, but that is now likely to go ahead on a separate bill on Sky Sports.

More to follow.

That is a monster of a card to be fair

D4v3 wrote: ↑26 Jun 2024, 13:04 That is a monster of a card to be fair

It's excellent, but, much like the US one, Hearn needs to learn history with his best ever stuff.

I really can’t get over how Willy talks lol

this is an excellent card, really is. Buatsi v Hutchinson is so good a fight.

Buatsi’s just throttled Hutchinson at a face off.

Security dragged them apart.