Joshua Buatsi insists he made the right decision to walk away from a clash with Dmitry Bivol. However, capturing a vacant title against Willy Hutchinson will do little to convince the boxing world that he truly belongs among the division’s elite. Securing a world championship by defeating an opponent he has already beaten once before proves remarkably little about his standing at 175 pounds.
Buatsi is set to face Hutchinson for the vacant WBC light heavyweight crown at the Manchester AO Arena on November 7. The division’s landscape shifted when David Benavidez moved up to cruiserweight, leaving the belt open. This opportunity came as a lifeline for Buatsi following a devastating defeat to Callum Smith, which severely derailed his status as a legitimate threat in the light heavyweight division.
The grueling three-fight stretch since 2024 has taken a significant toll on Buatsi. Stepping directly into a highly anticipated rematch against a relentless, spiteful puncher like Hutchinson at this stage of his career is an incredibly risky proposition.
At 33 years old, Buatsi is no longer the young prospect who could rely on sheer physical dominance to escape difficult situations. The cumulative wear and tear of a demanding career is clearly beginning to show.
Buatsi recently explained to BoxingScene that the financial terms offered for a fight with Bivol were unacceptable, and he stands by his decision to pass on the Russian champion. While fighters are entitled to negotiate their purses, capturing a belt against Hutchinson will never substitute for the elite-level test that a fight with Bivol would have provided. It cannot recover the years Buatsi spent playing it safe.
The British former bronze medalist is rapidly running out of opportunities to establish himself at the very top. Winning a title will certainly improve his bargaining power, but defeating Hutchinson does not automatically elevate him into the ranks of the division’s true elite.
Hutchinson is well aware of Buatsi’s vulnerabilities. Although Buatsi dropped him twice during their initial encounter, he was subsequently exposed in emphatic fashion by Callum Smith. Furthermore, Buatsi barely scraped past Zach Parker in a highly controversial decision that many observers felt he lost.
Hutchinson has a straightforward blueprint for victory. He must maintain relentless pressure, remain active for every second of each round, and avoid hitting the canvas.
While Buatsi is justified in defending his business decisions, he will need to deliver a commanding, dominant performance this weekend if he expects fans and critics to take his championship credentials seriously.