Queensberry Capitalizes on Willy Hutchinson’s Impressive Victory, Requesting WBO Interim Light Heavyweight Title Fight Against Joshua Buatsi
In the aftermath of Willy Hutchinson’s dominant victory over Craig Richards on Saturday night, Queensberry wasted no time in seizing the opportunity. Within 24 hours, the promotion’s representative Andy Ayling reached out to the WBO, requesting that the sixth-ranked Hutchinson be considered to challenge the top-ranked Joshua Buatsi for the organization’s Interim light heavyweight title.
Ayling emphasized that Hutchinson would be “immediately available, ready, willing, and able” to take on Buatsi, and the WBO swiftly approved the request. This development sets the stage for a 10-day negotiation period between Queensberry and BOXXER, the agency representing Buatsi, to reach an agreement on the potential showdown.
The latest development comes on the heels of the WBO’s previous ruling, issued on May 8, which ordered Buatsi and Anthony Yarde to compete for the Interim light heavyweight title. However, contractual disputes between Yarde and Queensberry prevented any progress, leading the WBO to grant Yarde a 72-hour deadline on May 29 to confirm his willingness to fight Buatsi. With no response from Yarde within the allotted time, the WBO has now determined that the 32-year-old is “uninterested and unavailable” to proceed with the ordered bout.
Buatsi and Hutchinson’s Prospects
As for Buatsi, the 18-0 (13 KOs) contender last competed on February 3, defeating Dan Azeez in a WBA title eliminator. The London-based fighter is now the WBA’s mandatory challenger and must decide whether to wait for the rescheduled undisputed light heavyweight title fight between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol on October 12 or take on the resurgent Hutchinson in the meantime.
Hutchinson, 18-1 (13 KOs), has been on a roll since suffering a shock stoppage defeat to Lennox Clarke three years ago, winning his last five fights. The 31-year-old will be eager to capitalize on the momentum generated by his impressive victory over Richards and secure a career-defining opportunity against the highly-touted Buatsi.
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