What can we expect out of Buatsi vs Richards?
Joshua Buatsi will aim to continue rise up the professional ranks when he takes on Craig Richards in a bout at the O2 Arena in London. Buatsi has enjoyed a steady rise since winning bronze at the 2016 Olympics. The 29-year-old holds the WBA International light-heavyweight title courtesy of a 15-fight unbeaten run, 13 of which have been by knockout.
Richards will present a challenge due to his experience as a previous world title challenger. Both fighters are seemingly well-matched, but it will be up to Buatsi to force the issue as the overwhelming favourite in the boxing odds to win the bout at 2/9. The bookies have confidence for the 29-year-old to continue his winning run and march up the boxing hierarchy.
Value can be found by backing Richards at 4/1 after he knocked out Marek Matyja in his last bout in the sixth round. The 31-year-old does have the pedigree to compete and defeat Buatsi, but he will need to raise the standard of his performances. Richards battled manfully in his title bout against Dmitry Bivol, but was unable to make enough inroads into the defences of the Russian over the course of their fight, losing out on a unanimous points decision. Richards bounced back from his defeat to overcome Matyja with a dominant performance, and he has momentum to take into the bout with Buatsi. He will need a lot to land in his favour to overcome his compatriot, who has been extremely impressive to date.
He has to take the fight the full distance to hope that he edges a points decision over his rival. If it were to come down to a straight knockout, the 31-year-old does have decent history under his belt, but sending Buatsi to the mat is a much tougher proposition than Matyja.
Buatsi will be motivated to prove his dominance of the field in Britain as he looks ahead to a potential showdown against Canelo Alvarez after overcoming Ricards Bolotniks. The Latvian was billed as a tough challenge for the 29-year-old, and it took time for him to wear down his opponent.
After overwhelming his last nine opponents before round eight, Bolotniks took Buatsi to round 11 before a firm right hand eventually felled the Latvian, ending a fine display of resistance. The sheer brilliance of Buatsi to gain the upper hand and send his opponents to the mat in the early stages suggests that he should have too much power and speed for Richards to handle.
It will be interesting to see if Richards can drag out the fight whether Buatsi can alter his style to remain patient and wait for his opportunity, or alternatively hold his nerve to take the decision to the judges. The 29-year-old will have to develop those skills as he continues to meet boxers of similar levels of talent. He cannot afford to rely on his superior talent down the line ahead of potential matches against Alvarez or Bivol, and his compatriot will provide a sure test of his mettle at the highest level.