Eighteen men have tried to beat Joshua Buatsi since he turned professional and all of them have failed. There is, however, not a shred of doubt in Willy Hutchinson’s mind that he will be the one to succeed.
The pair do battle for the WBO interim light-heavyweight title at Wembley on Saturday night on the Anthony Joshua-Daniel Dubois undercard, live on Sky Sports Box Office, with a potential clash against the winner of next month’s undisputed showdown between Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev on the horizon for the victor.
Having chalked up a perfect 18-0 record in the paid ranks, including 13 stoppages, 2016 Olympic bronze medallist Buatsi goes into the bout as odds-on favourite. So, what makes Hutchinson so confident he will be the one having his hand raised by the referee come Saturday?
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Joshua Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson were involved in an icy stare off ahead of their fight at Wembley on the undercard of Anthony Joshua versus Daniel Dubois.
“I don’t even know what people are looking at,” Hutchinson told Sky Sports, dismissing the threat he is seen as being posed by Buatsi.
“Whatever they’re seeing, I must be seeing a completely different thing. I’ll demolish this man – he’s an easier fight that my last opponent, that’s for sure.
“I believe I’ll knock him out.
“This man is just not good enough. There are a lot better men out there who haven’t got as big a name behind them as him.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Joshua Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson had to be separated by security as their rivalry boiled over after they traded words in front of the camera following the announcement of their Wembley fight.
That last opponent was one of those to previously tackle Buatsi in Craig Richards, who Hutchinson beat via unanimous decision to claim the minor WBC silver belt in Saudi Arabia in June – coincidentally, on the same card which saw Dubois defeat Filip Hrgovic to put him on course to face Joshua.
The Scotsman, who won European junior and world youth titles as an amateur, has compiled an impressive 18-1 (13) record of his own since turning professional, with his sole loss coming when he challenged Lennox Clarke for the British and Commonwealth super-middleweight titles.
Hutchinson is in no doubt that fifth-round stoppage defeat three years ago has served him well though and claimed that Buatsi, who won the light-heavyweight British and Commonwealth belts when he beat Dan Azeez in February, will be grateful when he does the same to him.
“If I had won that fight, I would have never boxed again, where I was in my life,” Hutchinson said.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Following Willy Hutchinson’s impressive win over Craig Richards last time out, Andy Scott and Gary Logan react to the news that Joshua Buatsi is set to take on Hutchinson for the WBO interim belt at light-heavyweight.
“It was the best thing that ever happened to me, and Joshua Buatsi will thank me when I knock him out because he can then maybe rebuild and get better than he is now.
“Genuinely, I’m going to dismantle this man, and everyone will see. It’s not me feeling I’m on this top horse, it’s me being me, doing what I’ve got to do and beat the likes of these men.
“They’re good – but that’s all they are, is good.”
Hutchinson and Buatsi have already traded barbs ahead of Saturday’s 12-rounder, with tempers boiling over when the fight was announced and them engaging in a tense head-to-head as well.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Watch Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois live on Sky Sports Box Office on Saturday September 21.
The 26-year-old insists none of those incidents were deliberate, pre-planned attempts to unsettle the usually cool-headed Buatsi, although he believes he has done that anyway.
The possibility of facing either current WBA champion Bivol or WBO, WBC and IBF belt-holder Beterbiev is not on his mind either. Instead, Carstairs fighter Hutchinson is only concerned with enjoying himself and getting the job done this weekend.
“It’s all in God’s hands now, isn’t it?” Hutchinson said. “I never intend to do anything; I got under his skin without even trying, so that tells you something already.
“All of the hard work is done, it’s all about enjoying what is happening now.
“It’s all about enjoying myself, putting on a big performance on Saturday night, getting rid of this man and moving on with my career.”
Anthony Joshua’s heavyweight showdown with Daniel Dubois takes place on Saturday September 21 live on Sky Sports Box Office. Book Joshua v Dubois now!