It’s no secret that Queensberry Promotions events always have a special appeal: exciting matchups, all-British clashes and heated rivalries. Last night in Manchester, we witnessed the rematch between Willy Hutchinson (21-2) and Joshua Buatsi (20-2), with the vacant WBC light heavyweight title on the line.
Buatsi won their first encounter by split decision, but this time the Scotsman was determined to get his revenge and claim the belt as well.
Fight Report
As expected, there was no feeling-out process. The two fighters know each other very well, and Buatsi immediately comes out aggressively. Hutchinson, however, defends himself well and unleashes some very heavy right hands.
In the second round, the fighters remain close together, fighting for control of the centre of the ring. Hutchinson, however, seems to have faster hands and is extremely quick to respond to his opponent’s attacks.
The third round gets underway explosively, with the Scotsman landing a counter left hand. His defence is truly impressive and begins to frustrate Buatsi, who frequently finds himself punching at air.
The fourth round also opens with a left hand from the Scotsman landing flush on Buatsi’s face. The Englishman becomes increasingly frustrated, although he manages to be a little more effective towards the end of the round. Buatsi has to contend with Hutchinson’s almost flawless defence tonight, which leaves him very few openings beyond the jab, a punch he doesn’t use often enough.
In the fifth round, following instructions from his corner, Buatsi tries to target his opponent’s body. But Willy looks incredibly quick and has clearly prepared for this fight to perfection. Fast, accurate two-handed combinations, footwork and upper-body movement to avoid getting caught… the Scotsman is getting under his opponent’s skin in a big way.
By the seventh round, Hutchinson becomes even more ruthless, unleashing a continuous barrage of combinations on Buatsi. The eighth is the round in which Joshua, despite appearing tired, digs deep and fights back with pride.
As the fight progresses, the pace begins to slow. The fighters exchange challenges, taunt each other and load up on their punches. It’s a heated spell in which Buatsi seems to have recovered some energy. He throws with greater force and tries to make up ground on the scorecards ahead of the final verdict.
In the closing rounds, the fighters continue to trade at close range, remaining locked together. This slightly favours Buatsi, who unleashes some effective combinations in the eleventh round. Hutchinson appears to have lost some of the sharpness and mobility he displayed throughout most of the fight.
The bell rings for the final round, and Buatsi immediately comes out aggressively in the centre of the ring. Hutchinson goes back to moving on his feet. Now everything is in the judges’ hands.
Despite Joshua Buatsi’s ability to somehow find another gear and attempt to turn the fight around, the Scottish boxer ultimately comes out on top, winning by unanimous decision with scores of 115-113, 115-113 and 117-112.
What a night for Hutchinson! Revenge completed, WBC belt secured. So, what’s next for him? Anthony Yarde, who was ringside? The winner of Bivol vs Smith? Or perhaps Ben Whittaker? We’ll have to wait and see, but last night a new name emerged as a serious contender in the division: Willy Hutchinson, the Scotsman!