With Anthony Yarde apparently on the sidelines due to promotional dispute, the WBO is moving forward with Joshua Buatsi vs. Willie Hutchinson for the vacant WBO interim light heavyweight championship. A purse bid has been scheduled for Monday, June 24 with a minimum bid of $300,000.

 

The WBO decided to create the interim title in May when WBO / IBF / WBC light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev suffered a ruptured meniscus in training and had to postpone the scheduled undisputed world light heavyweight championship contest against WBA champion Dmitry Bivol.  According to the press release, the Beterbiev-Bivol bout will be rescheduled before the end of 2024 [likely October]. 

 

At first, the WBO ordered its #1 rated Joshua Buatsi and #3 rated Anthony Yarde, the two highest available contenders, to commence negotiations for the WBO interim light heavyweight championship. (Oleksandr Gvozdyk was rated #2 by the WBO but instead fought and lost to David Benavidez for the WBC interim championship). But Yarde has become entangled in a legal dispute with Queensberry over whether he is still under a promotional contract. 

 

Hutchinson (18-1) will replace Yarde after Hutchinson's big win on June 1st in Saudi Arabia over Craig Richards. Buatsi is listed as 18-0 but 19-2 is more accurate considering he had paid bouts in the World Series of Boxing.