Will Joshua Buatsi finally be able to fulfill his potential following the Queensberry team-up?

pairing Will make his Queensberry debut tonight when he faces fellow Briton Zach Parker in Manchester.

The light-heavyweight contest will be top-of-the-line, with both men looking to move up the pecking order toward a world-title shot.

Buatsi, 32, turned professional eight years ago but has yet to win a world-championship gold. His career has been slow, and earlier this year he suffered his first defeat when he was outpointed callum smith,

But after joining forces with Queensberry, will Buatsi finally be able to unleash his potential?

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When Buatsi turned professional why did everyone want to sign him?

Buatsi dominated domestically at amateur level and won the English National Championships in 2014 and 2015. He made the Great Britain Olympic team in 2016 and took the Games by storm.

At the age of 23, Buatsi won his first two bouts in Rio by knockout, while his quarter-final opponent was given two standing counts as the Briton reached the last four. Buatsi was defeated by Kazakhstan’s Adilbek Niazimbetov on points in the semi-finals, but he performed well enough to win the bronze medal.

The rising star had proven he was a classy operator who also had knockout power with either hand, qualities that were always likely to translate well when he moved up to the professional code.

When Buatsi made the switch in 2017 there were several promoters interested in signing him, but it was Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom. boxing Who managed to get the deal on the line.

How did Buatsi fare with Matchroom?

Buatsi stepped into the ring for the first time as a professional in July 2017 and went straight to work, winning by stoppage inside two rounds. He was very active in his first 12 months with Matchroom, fighting seven times and eventually getting his reward by capturing the WBA International Light-Heavyweight title.

This improved his world ranking and he fulfilled his childhood dream of winning the British title by defeating Liam Conroy in three rounds in March 2019.

Buatsi was progressing at a rapid pace as he took care of former world-title challenger Marco Antonio Periban in New York before returning to the UK to dispatch Ryan Ford just under three months later.

It looked like he was getting closer to a world-title shot, but a shoulder injury forced Buatsi out of the ring for over a year as his development was stunted. Upon his return, Buatsi won his next three bouts by knockout – a run that included a brutal stoppage victory over Rickards Bolotnik on the Matchroom Fight Camp card.

Once he defeated fellow Londoner Craig Richards on points in May 2022, a title fight seemed the next logical step. But Buatsi could not agree to the terms Dmitry Bivol Or arthur beterbiev As his relationship with Matchroom turned sour. Now it’s time to look elsewhere to get your career back on track.

What did Buatsi gain from Boxxer?

Buatsi announced his move to Boxxer in March 2023 after a period of inactivity. His new promoter, Ben ShalomBuatsi was eager to move on and immediately booked a fight for him in Birmingham for May 2023.

Buatsi faced little-known Pavel Stepanyan in 10 rounds and eased his way to a points victory. However, it was a largely forgettable fight as Buatsi failed to deliver the stellar performance he was expected to. Once again, Bouatsi was sidelined for several months before returning to fight Dan Azeez in early 2024.

It was Buatsi’s chance to prove that he belongs on the world stage, but Azeez completely pushed him as he scored two knockdowns before advancing to the final round. Aziz insisted that both were mistakes, but his protests fell on deaf ears. Still, it was a tougher night for Buatsi than many had predicted.

Butsi faced Willie Hutchinson on the undercard of the Anthony Joshua fight, which was followed by another domestic dust-up. Daniel Dubois last September. Buatsi had a clear advantage in strength and hurt Hutchinson several times, but he lacked the fierce instincts to finish the job. Buatsi got the nod via split decision after 12 tough rounds, yet another disjointed performance.

He finally took the next step in his career in February when he fought Callum Smith for the WBO interim title. There was an exciting fight between the two men and both were injured several times. However, Smith held the lead throughout and saw fit to have his hand raised at the final bell.

Buatsi had shown his heart and determination but missed out at the highest level as his four-fight deal with Boxxer expired.

Can Buatsi finally win a world title after linking up with Queensberry?

Buatsi made a very promising start with Matchroom before his career stagnated and he moved to Boxxer. Under the guidance of Ben Shalom, he was unable to perform at his best as he scored three decision wins before losing to Callum Smith. Now, they have a chance for another fresh start at Queensberry, and they must take it.

After his amateur exploits, it seemed almost guaranteed that Buatsi would one day become world champion. But they have yet to fulfill that potential and time is running out. He needs to remind fans why he was rated so highly as a young prospect, and he’ll get his first opportunity tonight.

Zach Parker is no pushover and has competed at the world level in the past. But if Buatsi still has world title ambitions, he will need to surpass Parker in style. It’s also important that he remains active moving forward, and that shouldn’t be an issue given how strong the domestic light-heavyweight scene is.

If he beats Parker, Buatsi could target the likes of Anthony Yarde, Ben Whittaker, or even a rematch with Smith to prove he is Britain’s best. He can then focus his attention on finally winning the world title as he wants to end his career without any regrets.

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