If JB wins next month (and I think he will) 90% chance he will fight Bivol next in the UK. I would have loved to see him fight Craig Richards, and he probably still can in the future but when he gets past Vlasov he needs that title fight next. It's no secret I am a big fan, but that aside I put Buatsi in a very small group of fighters Matchroom has who can win a genuine world title by beating a reigning champion and don't need any of the Conor Benn treatment...
In an ideal world we’d get Smith v Bivol early 2022 and the winner fights Buatsi in the summer. Potential for the winner to fight Canelo afterwards in his UK debut for a belt at 175 but I’m getting carried away now.
Bivol is fighting in December. I can see a May/June fight between him and Smith - possibly at Anfield. Liam due out in January also so he should be ready to go again. Fowler will be fast tracked and on the card, McGrail and a few other local ticket sellers too.
Great stuff He will no doubt need another two warm up fights in 2022, now prior to considering whether he wants to fight a pulse.
This thread will still be active throughout 2022 no doubt. Yarde will have fought 3 men with a pulse since his thread started. Buatsi will still be having tune ups throughout 2022.
100% This annoys me because I quite like Buatsi but if this circus continues, then people will lose interest and/or root against him.
He's having surgery on his hand and apparently this will keep him out until March next year. I still have my doubts about that. On the Vlasov fight being re-scheduled Eddie quickly said 'yeah possibly' very vague so take that as meaning it's unlikely we see this fight next year. A real shame, and quite sad as it's a case of one step forward two steps back for one of Matchrooms most talented fighters.
I don’t know why they haven’t let him off the leash yet. Personally I think he beats Bivol now, whose career has stalled.
I'm not convinced about Buatsi on the world stage? He shows good things in glimpses but doubts he is taking the last step up to the elite. Really hope I'm wrong.
Is this a hand injury, or a "hand injury" akin to the "shoulder injury" of Dillian Whyte, concocted by Hearn to deftly remove Buatsi from the fight with Vlasov?
It's vague and non-committal responses like this from Hearn, delivered in this manner, which leads me to believe that Hearn never really fancied the Vlasov matchup for Buatsi in the first place.
