Interviews
Any flaw in Ricards Bolotnik’s security, and I’ll take him down
Joshua Buatsi says any Ricards Bolotniks show of weakness will be decisively exploited when the teams clash in Brentwood on Saturday.
Buatsi (14-0, 12 KO) meets Bolotniki (18-5-1, 8 KO) in a WBA delicate heavyweight title eliminator, concluding the third and final week of Fight Camp at Matchroom HQ, live on DAZN.
The 2016 Olympic bronze medalist knocked out Joshua Dos Santos in four rounds in May, extending his perfect unbeaten record to 14, and the Londoner insists he will display a ruthless finishing instinct if a scenario arises that allows him to win at the distance.
“I can’t wait, it’s been a while since I’ve boxed in front of fans, so this will be great.” The 28-year-old told Matchroom Boxing.
“It’s a main event against a good opponent, we’re both high in the rankings, we’re both on winning streaks and we believe we’ll win. I will be there every round and if I sense any weakness on the Bolotniks’ part, the game is over, I will eliminate him.
“It’s boxing, outside the ring be frosty, be composed, be nice, but inside the ring you handle things. When I fight, I have to put everything on the line because people say, “Joshua Buatsi is a nice guy,” but if I boxed nicely, they wouldn’t care.
“If you’re an crucial figure who’s raucous and talks trash, the performance doesn’t really matter in a way, but I’m not like that, so I realize my performances have to talk about that.”
Buatsi, who weighed 1743/4 pounds at Friday’s weigh-in, is fighting for the second time under the supervision of a highly respected trainer, Virgil Hunter, who moved to the USA before his last appearance.
Bolotniks, who tipped the scales a little lighter and amounted to 1741/2 lbs, won the MTK Gold Contract after a tenth-round stoppage of Serge Michel, beating Steven Ward and JB’s compatriot Hosea Burton en route to the final.
Buatsi claims he only saw brief moments Latvians success in the tournament and instead tries to improve his game rather than focusing on his opponents.
“People asked me to step up and here we are,” Buatsi said.
“I know what I have to do, and if things get tough, I still know what I have to do. I’ve covered all the bases in camp so I’m ready, so tune in and you’ll see.
“It’s part of the game and I understand that. It’s a compliment that people want to see me compete better. It’s natural that people want to see it and it will be next in line, so it’s up to me to deal with it.
“I saw him boxing in the Golden Contract final, but it was only one round and part of it against Hosei Burton and that was it.
“I’ve always said it’s about improving myself as a player and taking into account all aspects of myself, and when I do that, I feel like I can do it with anyone who steps in front of me.”
The host favorite is defending his international WBA crown for the seventh time and is close to fighting for the world title, which, according to the governing authorities, is in second place, while the guest is the third-ranked contender.
A shot against WBA “Super” champion Dmitry Bivol could await the winner while the “Regular” belt is empty and Buatsi hopes to fight again before the end of the year.
“We were targeting three fights this year, in May, August and winter,” Buatsi added.
“So the stakes are high but I’ll go into the fight with whoever the team puts in front of me, that’s up to them, as long as I prepare I’ll be fine because once you get in the ring there’s no going back.
“It’s a very threatening sport, so you have to make sure you play it.”
Eddie Hearn believes Tyson Fury will retire after a legacy-defining clash with Anthony Joshua.
Fury stunned the boxing world on Monday when he announced his retirement from the sport, leaving behind a megafight with Joshua.
The “Gypsy King” announced his shocking decision less than a month after suffering, among other things, second defeat in a row against Oleksandr Usyk in Riyad, but Joshua’s promoter, Hearn, is convinced that the fighter from Morecambe will return to the ring to fight the long-awaited showdown with “AJ”, who is returning after a fifth-round defeat to Daniel Dubois.
“In my opinion, I think he will come back,” the 45-year-old said talkSPORT.
“But I don’t know him well enough to judge that.
“He’s coming back after two defeats, and these defeats hurt the boys.
“AJ was devastated by the defeat to Dubois and I’m sure Fury was too [with his defeats to Usyk]both are winners.
“I don’t know if Fury can leave one of the biggest fights in the history of the sport on the table.
“I know he’s a competitor. I know he will want to give the British fight fans what they want and I hope we see more of him.
“But if we don’t, God bless the speed and all the best.”
Fury hung up his gloves after defeating Dillian Whyte in April 2022, only to return eight months later for a third fight with Derek Chisora, whom he defeated comfortably at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Hearn said Joshua will now look to secure a clash with the winner of the February 22 fight between his former rivals Dubois and Joseph Parker, who will fight in Riyad for the IBF heavyweight world title.
If Fury returns to fight AJ, the Matchroom boss insists the loser would have nowhere to go.
“They would both be devastated by defeat,” he added.
“It’s one thing to lose the world heavyweight title, but at the same time losing in a fight of this magnitude is the biggest bragging rights.
“At this stage of their career, the last word is goodbye.
“Whoever loses this fight is finished and whoever wins it moves on and that’s what you fight for.
“You’re not just fighting for a legacy, you’re fighting to save your career.
“It’s a huge fight, but it’s not on the table right now.”
Callum Simpson defended his British and Commonwealth super middleweight titles after a second-round victory over Steer Woodall on Saturday at the Park Community Arena in Sheffield.
Simpson (16-0, 11 KO) proved too good for Zak Chelli in his last competition and went on to sweep wide and claim the British and Commonwealth titles last August. Woodall (19-3-1, 12 KO) picked up his best career win, stopping Lerrone Richards in six rounds in an upset in Bolton last June.
This attack ended quickly in the second round, with a right uppercut that left Woodall on wobbly legs, and then another attack punctuated by another right uppercut, leaving “The Stallion” on the deck.
Despite beating the count, referee Mark Bates waved off the fight shortly afterwards.
Simpson dedicated his victory his dead sisterwho died tragically in August in a road accident.
“It’s bittersweet,” the 28-year-old said Heavenly sports after the fight.
“I won these titles in front of all my fans, but there’s one person that I think everyone knows who I wish was here, but I know she’s looking down on me and I make her proud.”
Dubois is tied with Camara
On the card below, Caroline Dubois (10-0-1, 5 KO) made her first defense of her WBC lightweight title against Canadian Jessica Camara (14-4-1, 3 KO), but the fight ended in a technical draw.
The fight was stopped due to a cut to Camara’s left eye from the head collision, and she also went down in the first round.
Forrest stops Miller
Cruiserweight prospect Scott Forrest needed just two rounds to defeat Deevorn Miller.
Miller (8-3, 6 KO) lost once in the first and second rounds, while Forrest (7-0, 4 KO) won outright.
Undercard remaining
In the featherlight heavyweight division, where Billy Deniz defeated Mickey Ellison (15-8, 5 KO) by one point.
Deniz (13-0, 5 KO) won with a score of 77-76.
In the six-round middleweight division, Sam Hickey (2-0, 1 KO) stopped Lewis Howells (3-2) three times en route to a first-round victory, and Mauro Silva (7-0, 3 KO) scored a 59-56 victory against Emmanuel Zion (6-3, 3 KOs).
Ellis Price (2-0, 1 KO) stopped Liam Fitzmaurice (0-1) twice en route to a first-round lightweight victory.
Lauren Price believes Natasha Jonas was pressured into fighting her ahead of their March 7 unification clash.
Price will put his WBA and IBO welterweight titles on the line when he faces IBF and WBC champion Jonas live at the Royal Albert Hall. Heavenly sports.
Jonas’ coach, Joe Gallagher, has said he would prefer to see the 40-year-old retire, and Price, who won Olympic gold in 2021, is doubtful whether her rival wants to face her.
“I don’t think either of them wanted this fight,” the 30-year-old said proboxing-fans.com.
“But like I said, she has two belts, I have three and it’s just a great fight.
“The fight is signed, sealed and announced, so on March 7 we will see who will be the best.
“If you look at my amateur record, Olympic gold medalist, I haven’t lost a single round as a professional.
“The performance I am up against [Jessica] McCaskill in Cardiff against the legitimate world champion, the proof is in the pudding.
“I’ve got it. I’m in my youth.
“She’s coming to the end of my career and I don’t blame her, but in the end she has something that I want and that’s really it, there’s nothing personal.”
Jonas secured the WBC crown with a unanimous decision victory over then-champion Ivana Habazin in December in Liverpool, moments after Price defeated Bexcy Mateus in three rounds on the same bill.
The pair then clashed during a heated post-fight interview to confirm their upcoming match.
The Welshwoman believes that her youth, speed and dominance in the ring will allow her to defeat the experienced Liverpool resident on Friday in eight weeks.
Asked what her advantage was over Jonah, Price added: “Probably my youth.
“Reading the fight, my ring IQ, my speed.
“The little feints, the triggers I do, people reading me.
“Everyone says they will do it, they will do it until I stand in front of them, so we will see on March 7.
“But overall I think I’m just better and I believe I’ll win.”
Watch the full interview with Lauren Price:
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