Arguably the hottest prospect in Eddie Hearn’s domestic boxing stable returns this weekend, when light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi headlines a rare Sunday Sky Sports card.
The unbeaten Londoner faces off against Croatian Marco Calic behind closed doors at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes aiming for his 13th straight pro victory.
Also, in the co-main event, Northampton’s Chantelle Cameron aims to put her own stamp on a breakthrough year for women’s boxing in the UK by claiming the vacant WBC super-lightweight world title against Brazil’s Adriana dos Santos Araujo.
Buatsi, 27, turned pro in 2017, the summer after winning a bronze medal at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. He’s an intelligent, slick and spiteful puncher who picked up the British title in just his 10th fight, and has been ranked by the WBA since his seventh.
Taking it back to Joshua Buatsi's powerful KO vs. Liam Conroy last year.
This Sunday, @BoxingBuatsi is BACK in the ring! pic.twitter.com/M4AuhvGDH7
— DAZN USA (@DAZN_USA) September 28, 2020
Sunday will be his first fight in 13 months, the longest break of his boxing career, and level-headed Buatsi is determined not to get too caught up in any lost time due to the pandemic. “If I’d had two or three fights this year then I’d have been closer to a world title,” he says. “But I’m fit, strong, healthy and injury free – that’s more than enough for me.
“I’ve had 12 fights and won 12. There’s no stain on the record, some fighters take a few bumps straight away. But my ambition is to just win my next fight, it’s no further than that.”
Similar to the home fighter, Calic arrives in the UK unbeaten as a pro (11-0) and armed with a prolific amateur pedigree. He boxed all over the world in a singlet, up at heavyweight too, and will have a slight height and in-ring weight advantage over the Brit.
However, the 33-year-old has struggled to garner much attention as a pro. He’s a boxing nomad, building his record in far-flung corners of Europe, more often than not against fighters with losing records. Challenging Buatsi for his WBA International title will be the toughest test of Calic’s career so far.
Anthony Yarde becomes the first man to stop Dec Spelman #YardeSpelman pic.twitter.com/1zCnbg2VtE
— Boxing on BT Sport (@BTSportBoxing) September 12, 2020
After domestic rival Anthony Yarde returned with a scintillating sixth round TKO just two weeks ago, expect Buatsi to go through the gears in similar fashion. Calic should have the size, strength and experience to survive until the middle rounds. But you’re known by the company you keep, and the Croat hasn’t mixed in this class since he was amateur.
Expect to be clapping your hands in appreciation long before Buatsi saves the judges from having to hand in their cards with another social media friendly finish in rounds 7–9.
And make it a double by locking in a slick unanimous points decision for Cameron in her maiden world title fight, as she works towards a lucrative future showdown with Katie Taylor by becoming the number one female super-lightweight in the world.
Cameron can punch too, so don’t be surprised if Araujo is forced to climb up off the canvas more than once. But the Brazilian ‘Pitbull’ is wily enough to hear the final bell, even if the landslide scorecards won’t be in her favour.
