Two years after their first match-up, Joshua Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson will fight again, but now the stakes are sky-high, with the vacant WBC light heavyweight belt there for the taking. The setting for this encounter is the AO Arena on Saturday, November 7th, in Manchester, England. The title was vacated by David Benavidez to move up to cruiserweight and fight Michał Cieślak for that WBC title on December 5th. Hutchinson, who is nicknamed “Braveheart” and even more appropriately “The Hutch Train,” is brash and flash, which is the same way he fights, delivering quips such as: “For this one, I’m older, wiser, stronger, and handsomer. I need to put a wrong right, and if I’m right, I’ll smash him to pieces.”
Joshua, who graduated with a degree in management with sports science from St. Mary’s University, Twickenham, is nicknamed “Just Business.” He declares: “With this rematch, something very important is on the line and I’m on board. I will get into the ring for everything, so I’m willing and I’m ready.”
Prior to turning pro in 2017, Hutchinson, from Carstairs in Scotland, won the European Junior Amateur Championship gold medal in 2014. Two years later, he won the Youth World Championships at middleweight. Joshua, who has lived most of his life in London, won a bronze medal at the European Championships in 2016 and another bronze at the Olympics in that same year. He too turned pro in 2017. It’s been a steady and graduated climb to reach this point for him, including a fourth-round KO of Ezequiel Maderna and then defeating Craig Richards via decision in Riyadh, before fighting Joshua Buatsi.
Their first fight on September 21st, 2024, at Wembley Stadium—which Buatsi won by split decision—was a barn burner. Hutchinson glowed while throwing clusters of long-range hooks, while the sturdy and steady Buatsi met the onslaught with crunching body shots that assuredly sank in and took their toll. In round five, an accidental clash of heads left Hutchinson with a gash over his right eye. One round later, a hard right to his head was followed by a power-driver left to his midriff, and down Hutchinson went, badly hurt; but the bell saved him. Typical of the man and his superb condition, plus true grit, he fought back tenaciously.
But in round nine, another yet shorter left to his solar plexus found the exact spot. Hutchinson winced, gasped, and went down in great discomfort, but beat the count and yet again fought back with the fire of desire. In the championship rounds, he gained his second wind, and with it, momentum, while Buatsi seemed to be ebbing rather than flowing, noticeably tiring.
With the two knockdowns and the referee deducting one point from Hutchinson in round seven for a rash, foolish and reckless use of the head, it seemed like a clear win for Buatsi, but it ended up as a split-decision victory for him. In this fight, Hutchinson hadn’t been difficult to hit—clearly, he was too easy a target. But his desire and firepower were evident. Every time the tide turned against him, he surged back with ferocity.
Since that thrilling fight night, Buatsi has lost to ex-super middleweight champion Callum Smith and won a gruelling majority decision over Zach Parker. Hutchinson claims Buatsi has now seen better days and he’s spent. We shall see. Meanwhile, Hutchinson has stopped Mark Jeffers via a seventh-round TKO and won by decision over Ezra Taylor.
Hutchinson is still only twenty-eight with a record of 20-2, 14 KOs, while Buatsi is five years older with a record of 20-1, 14 KOs.
