Willy Hutchinson is convinced Joshua Buatsi is damaged goods heading into their November 7 clash at Manchester’s AO Arena. With the vacant WBC light heavyweight title on the line, the Scottish contender expects a far smoother ride than their grueling first encounter two years ago.
Hutchinson insists the physical toll of Buatsi’s brutal wars, including a punishing defeat to Callum Smith, has permanently changed the 33-year-old. While Buatsi edged their September 2024 meeting by split decision, Hutchinson sees an entirely different fighter standing across from him this time around.
“I believe the Callum Smith fight and my fight would have took a lot out of him,” Hutchinson said to Secondsout. “He’s not a young one no more. He’s not 27, 28 where he can take that there and go and come back from it. When you’re 33, things change.”
Hutchinson doubled down by claiming Buatsi is “shot to bits,” promising an easier night at the office. He also dismissed Buatsi’s showing against Zach Parker, even while acknowledging Parker’s awkward style didn’t make things simple.
Yet Hutchinson must address his own past mistakes. Buatsi dropped him twice in their initial clash, using a wicked body shot in the ninth round that nearly finished the job. Protecting his midsection remains essential if he plans to flip the script.
To his credit, Hutchinson responded well to that first setback. He halted Mark Jeffers inside the distance, handed Ezra Taylor his first career loss, and looked sharper with every outing. Those victories built genuine momentum, though Buatsi already carries the psychological edge of knowing he can hurt him.
Buatsi’s recent run provides mixed signals. After dropping a clear decision to Smith in early 2025, he scraped past Parker via majority decision in an unconvincing display. Those outings fuel Hutchinson’s belief that his rival is slipping, though whether Buatsi is truly spent remains to be seen.
Hutchinson chased this second chance right from the final bell at Wembley, even telling Buatsi in the dressing room that they would run it back. Now, with boxing’s ultimate prize on the line, he gets exactly what he asked for.
The real risk for Hutchinson rests in banking too much on Buatsi’s supposed decline. If he leaves his ribs unprotected again, he might discover that the power that floored him in London is still fully intact.
