I think this is a 50-50 but i have a feeling Buatsi and Eddie are ducking 'The One' as he knows Callum has legit power and i also as good a boxer a Buatsi. We know this fight wont ever happen because Callum is now with Frank but i think it would be a brilliant fight. Should have happened already but Buatsi like feasting on bums.... guy still hasn't had a legit test and has been inactive, i just carn't board the train at the moment.
Johnson beats buatsi inside 6 rounds. Buatsis team know this and thats why they never made or even contemplated the fight.
The truth is Matchroom not only contemplated it, but actually made Callum a formal 3 fight offer- the final of those 3 fight was with Buatsi for a six figure purse as a main event fight potentially. This was very well documented last year in several interviews. Joe Gallagher confirmed it publicly, in multiple interviews. The offer was rejected by Callum as apparently 'money wasn't enough'. The first fight of the 3 was a warm up journeyman type fight as Callum had been extremely inactive, then a European title fight, and then finally Buatsi fight. After that offer was made, there was no follow up from Callum/Joe other than the initial rejection, Callum lost another year to inactivity, and then obviously signed with Frank where I can say with reasonable confidence he will be making less money not more! At the end of the day Callum is 36 this year, in a division where you have to cut and make weight. As much as some will make the 'miles on the clock' argument he's an ageing fighter, who has been one of the most inactive top fighters in the UK, if not THE most inactive. In that age range a fighter can decline almost overnight, and it can and does happen suddenly, without there always being a fight by fight gradual decline. You start your camp, and various injuries and physical issues catch up with you very suddenly and you realise you can't compete the way you did just a year ago! It's a well known process in the sport, but obviously many fighters fight on when/if there are big purses available to them knowing they will likely get beaten but earn good money- most notably seen in the HW division. It's a 50-50 fight for sure. It was one of the domestic fight I was most looking forward to. No chance now sadly. Buatsi is a interesting fighter, there's a few contradictions with him and as much as I think he's a great talent, better than Johnson with a much higher ceiling he has both been unlucky and let himself down at times, by being I think a bit too picky about training and fighting with minor injuries and issues. His power is vastly underrated- it is world class and he is a accurate, economical, and vicious puncher. He has very badly hurt many of his opponents, not always documented, but they would taken months to recover from damage he has caused them. Trust me he can punch as hard as Callum! People that have watched JB spar have been shocked at how good he is, and I'm not talking just randoms watching in a gym here either. He just needs a bit of a mental adjustment perhaps, some luck and the big fights....
Johnson would smash Buatsi from pillar to post and stop him in under 6 rounds right now. I do not rate Buatsi very highly. I have seen enough of him to see he lacks punching power to be a threat at the higher levels, and is far too easy to it. Ryan Ford was painting pictures on him at points in their fight. I also think the way Buatsi has been developed is doing him no favours at all. Once he does step up it will be a massive shock to him. Belinda Dos Santos is the type of opponent you face in your first few fights if you have aspirations of going to European and world level, not your 14th fight. I want to see more of Johnson fighting, at 35 he needs to fighting a lot more often. At least 3 times per year. Unfortunately I understand he has an injury at the moment so he is going to be out with that for a while.
I think Buatsi can go all the way. I'm impressed with his jab, balance and his combination punching but he still needs more seasoning. Right now, should Johnson go into the fight on the back of a tune up I'd fancy Johnson to walk him onto something. But Johnson is running out of time.....
Buatsi: good amateur credentials, looks very powerful and really athletic and huge bloke for this division. Sadly not had been tested vs top 100 boxers.
Buatsi has been fighting SMW's, a big puncher like Johnson would go through Buatsi he's been very carefully matched.
Matchroom's offer to Johnson wasn't 50/50, what makes Buatsi the A side against Johnson? Buatsi has no fans, lacks personality and isn't a draw.
Buatsi is just too easy to hit, defence is almost non-existent. I was big on him after te olympics but he just ooks to be getting worse, not better
The major issue with buatsi is he has faced no one even at domestic level. The way he is bigged up he should have faced far better opposition. Even yarde has faced 2 decent fighters Johnson has also. So why is buatsi unwilling face at bare minimum decent level fighter or a dangerous puncher???
