Joshua Buatsi signs with Boxxer

Undefeated British light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi has signed a long-term agreement with promotional company Boxxer.

The 2016 Olympic bronze medallist was previously signed to Matchroom Boxing.

Buatsi's fights will now be shown on Sky Sports and his first bout with his new promoter will be on 6 May at Resorts World Arena in Birmingham.

The 30-year-old said he wanted to get the "biggest fights" on the "biggest platform for sports fans".

Matchroom Boxing fights are streamed on the DAZN app, while Boxxer has an exclusive agreement with Sky Sports.

Buatsi says the lure of fighting on television, rather than an app, was the main reason he switched promotional companies.

Speaking at Wednesday's media event at Boxpark, in Croydon, he added: "I'm not going to tell you to download an app and type in your email and bank details."

Ghana-born Londoner Buatsi has won all 16 of his fights since turning professional in 2017, but has been out of the ring since beating Craig Richards on points in May 2022.

"It was a hard fight," he said. "I asked myself, how many people watched it? I don't think a lot of people saw it.

"For the blood and sweat I shared in that fight, it's important people can watch it."

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Buatsi - a standout amateur who also won two national English titles - was considered one of the brightest prospects in world boxing when he turned professional.

Inactivity, partly down to injury and the Covid pandemic, stagnated his progress. But the former British champion, who is ranked number one with the WBA - with Russian Dmitry Bivol the WBA 'Super' champion - says he is targeting a world title.

"I'm top three in three of the governing bodies," added Buatsi. "It's about manoeuvring myself in the right way so that I can become [a] mandatory [challenger].

"There's not a specific name, I just want to get my hands on the belt."

Shalom believes Buatsi will "bring major nights and titles" to British boxing, adding: "He doesn't want to duck anyone. He wants the biggest test and wants to be recognised for it. We can 100 per cent deliver on that."

Buatsi's signing could set up a clash with Dan Azeez, who won the European light-heavyweight title on Saturday with victory over Frenchman Thomas Faure in Paris.

As Buatsi took his seat, he asked: "Where's Dan Azeez? I just saw him. Dan, lift up your hand. We have to big up Dan. Europe's latest champion."

Buatsi has also been heavily linked with fighting fellow Londoner Anthony Yarde.

Yarde, who lost to unified world champion Artur Beterbiev in January, is signed to Frank Warren's Queensbury Promotions, meaning promotional differences would need to be overcome for that fight to be happen.

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running from that dmitry smoke

Buatsi said he was offered the Bivol fight but had to agree to stay with DAZN for a number of years. He would not accept that offer and prefers to fight on Sky where he will get better exposure.

It is his career and his choice.

the dmitry fight has probably been there for over a year

Former British light-heavyweight champion Joshua Buatsi will fight Poland's Pawel Stepien in his first bout since his switch to promotional company Boxxer.

The undefeated Buatsi, 30, who was previously signed to Matchroom Boxing, will headline in Birmingham on 6 May.

Wales' Olympic champion Lauren Price, also unbeaten, is also on that card - the first of three confirmed events.

On 27 May, Chris Billam-Smith fights at Bournemouth's Vitality Stadium, while Adam Azim returns to London in June.

Cherries supporter Billam-Smith, 32, said the thought of fighting at the 15,000 capacity stadium in his home town gave him "goosebumps", although it will not be a world title fight.

Also in Bournemouth, Mikael Lawal will bid to make his first defence of the British Cruiserweight Championship he won in November against Isaac Chamberlain.

Meanwhile, promising 20-year-old Azim will seek to maintain his unbeaten start as a professional fighter when he competes at London's York Hall on 10 June.

English middleweight champion Tyler Denny and Ben Whittaker will both also compete on the Birmingham card, which sees 2016 Olympic medallist Buatsi fight Poland's unbeaten Stepien.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/65044074

"Every time I step in the aim is to be dominant," Buatsi told Sky Sports. "It's always my aim. That's the sport that we're in.

"I'm not much of a trashtalker," he added. "I'm quite aware that when I get in the ring this is my time to actually make a statement.

"I'm very much aware that when it's time to fight I always have to show up."

But making an emphatic statement against the Pole will be an arduous task. Stepien has ambitions of his own. An international amateur boxer, as a pro he has climbed to no. 6 in the IBF world ratings at 175lbs.

"He boxed at a good level for his country. I saw a bout of him in the World Series of Boxing," Buatsi said of his next opponent.

"For me I think to represent a country or a nation at that level, you must have been good for them to choose you. So I think he's someone who's got good amateur pedigree and recently he was meant to fight Callum Smith.

"So if you're willing to fight the likes of Smith and being in camp already for that fight, which was meant to be earlier on [in March] then he'll be in good shape. I think he's a good opponent."

Buatsi has been waiting for his chance to return to action. He has not boxed since beating Craig Richards in May of last year.

"It's been a long time since I've been in the ring so I'm looking forward to being back out there, getting the smaller gloves on," he said.

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"The feeling that you feel when it's going to be a real fight, you can only get so much of it in training. The feeling when you're in your changing room when they knock and say Buatsi you're on in five minutes, two minutes time now, you've got to do the walk, it's live.

"Going through that whole process I've missed it so I'm looking forward to that."

His world ranking, his future title hopes, Buatsi knows he is risking all that against Stepien.

"I always believe that when we step in the ring, everything's on the line. Every fight that I've had I've always thought that," he said.

"I think this one is the same. I believe a lot is at stake and I'm always willing to defend it. Just go in there and make sure I'm the hunter."

He continued: "My aim is to win most importantly but if you can put on a show for the people to enjoy, to go home and say as always there were good fights but this fight stood out. This guy was a good fighter, great knockout, great win, whatever it is, I think it's important to leave with that perception in their mind.

"Whatever it is, whatever it takes to win, my intention is to make sure I go in there and get it."

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"Are Bivol and Beterbiev going to unify? Is Bivol going to vacate the belt and move down to fight Canelo [Alvarez]? Is Beterbiev going to say one more [fight] and I'm retiring? It's so hard to say. It's so unpredictable," Buatsi told Sky Sports.

"It's important to manoeuvre myself correctly so that when opportunity comes, I'm next in line.

"That's the position that I'm in right now."

He would welcome a showdown with one of the champions.

"I haven't turned down an opponent to say, 'Oh I don't want to fight this guy'. My coach said you could fight for the title or fight Bivol in a couple of fights. But he didn't say that means we wouldn't say yes to it," Buatsi added.

"Saying that in a couple of fights' time would leave me more prepared doesn't mean that we wouldn't have been prepared had the opportunity been given."

"They're killers," he said of Beterbiev and Bivol, "but I believe I'm one too. It's that simple."

Throughout his professional career there has been faith that Buatsi would eventually fight in world championship class.

"That expectation has been there from the Olympic Games. It's probably because I was knocking out everyone," said Buatsi, who won a light-heavyweight bronze medal in Rio in 2016.

But he does not feel he is lagging behind.

"Let's look at the light-heavyweight category that went to those Games. How many are world champions now? How many of them have a higher ranking than myself? The answer is none," he said.

"Having good rankings as well now, it's important that we manoeuvre correctly so that I keep those rankings so that I became a mandatory so that I can fight for the title.

"I'm ready for it, let's fight for it."

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