Joshua Buatsi vs. Ričards Bolotņiks & Michael McKinson vs. Przemysław Runowski RBR.

Buatsi will be fighting 34 year-old Robert Krasniqi in his next fight for the WBA Regular Title I have heard.

Krasniqi is 51-6 and is coming off a stoppage victory over Dominic Boesel after having spent most of his career at 168.

Although this win would make Buatsi the number 1 ranked contender with the WBA, it isn’t sufficient preparation for a Bivol or Beterbiev.

 

For the IBO as well.

Eddie 'too many belts in boxing' Hearn will be flogging this as a world title fight like he's done with Leigh Wood (WBA Regular) and Maxi Hughes (IBO).

 

Looking at the WBA rankings Krasniqi is number 1 and also the WBA interim champion. If they make it for regular title this won't make much of difference Buatsi is now the mandatory for the title shot anyway.

Never seen Krasniqi box but upsetting and beating Boesel is impressive who is a high Euro level guy.

 

Belt probably isn't too relevant, more for the ranking position I would guess.

 

I knew I recognised that name. Cleverly beat Krasniqi on points many years ago.

 

Buatsi will probably pick up a vacant belt or beat weak champions but just don't think he is truly good enough to beat a top champion or be really dominant based on what we actually see from him in the ring

 

I could actually see Buasti beating Joe Smith JR..

I can't see Buasti beating Beterbiev (that said he is at that age now and could age over night) and certainly not Bivol.

 

Despite all the talk of them moving up in levels and being in big fights, both buatsi and okolie will be fighting croatian fishmongers.

“Less talk, more action” - Eddie Earn

 

To be fair to Okolie he fighting his mandatory. Blame WBO not Hearn for that. After that I think he would look to unify.

Buatsi just beat a tough,, hard hitting and euro level guy who was a big step up from his previous opponents. Now Krasniqi isn't a top contender but he is coming off a win against high Euro level guy who was WBA Interim champion and former European champ. Then it's very likely the mandatory will be called and he fights Bivol.

 

I was under the impression unifications trumped mandatorys. Even if they dont, why shout about fighting breidis when you know you have a mandatory to fulfill?

Krasniqi lost to the corpse of arthur abraham. He is a step down from bolotniks

 

Must be a mix up, no way would Hearn call someone out for one of his fighters then not make the fight.

 

“Less talk more action” - Earn

 

Just for the record. I don't know where this hard hitting Bolotniks talk is coming from, he had 8 KOs in 17 fights prior to fighting Buatsi and I think every single one was a TKO bar 2, with 3 early on in his career against journeyman.

I think his toughness enabled him to outgruel opponents that he was probably a level above or just above.

I was really impressed by Buatsi at the Olympics and he is a decent offensive but defensively he is lacking. There was multiple times where he just stood there, utilising some form of philly shell defence, he just won't be able to do that at the top level.

It was a good learning fight for him and clear he was a level above skill-wise but he still struggled more than expected.

3 fights now I've seen him eat right hands, against Ford, Calic and Bolotniks. If he doesn't address that soon the top fighters will likely sleep him.

He's reminded me of Callum Smith and I think he'll have a similar career - potential for these two to meet?

 

Well, if this Bolotniks even had 17-0-0 record with 17 KOs against total boxing bags this was not important.
boxing bag might be for example with 0-8 even 0-20 record or someone maybe even with 10-10 record and initially this looks decent record for a journeyman, while if he had lost all 10 his last fights and is on 10 fights loosing streak.
Vs such opponents is easy to rack 17 KOs in 17 fights.

Bolotniks sometime did not had stopped debut lad, then vs some bums won only on cards.

Interesting is exactly what ranking and records had opponents Bolotniks had stopped.
Ward: 12-0-0 record and WBO Euro title. Bolotniks had sparked him in 1 st round.
Michel: 11-1 record.
Bolotniks was underdog vs both of them.
Then some years ago he had one supposed prospect with 8-0-0 record ( 8KOs) and Bolotniks had sparked him, punched out of the ring in 2nd round.
Cruiserweight lad Cordoba had 11-1 ( 9KOs) pro boxing record and he was not a journeyman. Former kickboxer who had 41 wins via stoppage ( am+ pro ) as KBer. As far as I had get fight was in Spain and Cordoba was A side lad. Boloniks sparked him in 1 st round.
I think he at least had power and experience to KO ppl, Bolotniks just cached him.
Gassanov might be considered as journeyman with bad record( anyway G looks that is ranked in top 50 by boxrec and had won russia title. He might KO ppl and had stopped prospects, had also lost vs prospects, might gave upsets.)
these 5 stoppage wins are not bad wins.

Ford looks that was former MMA journeyman and later boxing journeyman, also older than Bolotniks.
Calic was known to be pillow fist.
Bolotniks looks that does have 0 am boxing fights. I think if he had some maybe 50 am boxing fights under belt before turned a pro, he had been more effective.

 

Agreed. Looking at the WBA rankings besides Badou Jack he’s the toughest fight in the top 15.