Joshua Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson are set to collide once again for the vacant WBC world light-heavyweight title in Manchester on Saturday. The British rivals previously met in September 2024 on the undercard of Daniel Dubois’ victory over Anthony Joshua, where Londoner Buatsi secured a split-decision win after knocking down Scotland’s Hutchinson twice.
Boxing Experts Share Their Predictions
Two-weight world champion Chantelle Cameron expects Buatsi to finish the fight in the later rounds, predicting a stoppage between rounds nine and 12 in favor of Buatsi. British heavyweight David Allen favors the challenger, noting that Hutchinson has improved massively since their first encounter while questioning if Buatsi has made the same progress.
Former world champion Carl Frampton expects a competitive bout, pointing out that Hutchinson has matured and is in strong form. Frampton edges Hutchinson to win on points, though he acknowledges that a world title opportunity might bring out a peak level in Buatsi that has not been seen for a while. European cruiserweight champion Viddal Riley also backs Hutchinson, stating that it is the Scottish fighter’s time and that he enters the ring fresher and with more hunger.
Former WBO middleweight champion Denzel Bentley predicts a repeat outcome for Buatsi to finally claim a world title. Bentley believes Buatsi will use his confidence to step on the pace early and secure a win on points, possibly with a knockdown, while noting that Hutchinson is tough enough to avoid a stoppage. Former cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellew echoes this sentiment, explaining that it is rare for a fighter to turn around a rematch defeat, and backs Buatsi potentially by late stoppage.
Former European super-featherweight champion Zelfa Barrett also picks Buatsi to win again, pointing out that Hutchinson’s vulnerability to body shots could prove to be his kryptonite. Boxing manager Sam Jones takes the opposite view, arguing that Hutchinson is in his physical and mental prime and is catching Buatsi at the right time.
Former middleweight world champion Darren Barker highlights the questions surrounding Buatsi following his recent fights against Callum Smith and Zach Parker, while praising Hutchinson’s maturity and performance in the first bout. DAZN presenter Ade Olapido views the contest as much closer than their first meeting, narrowing his previous 80-20 prediction for Buatsi down to 55-45, but ultimately expects Buatsi to leave as world champion while acknowledging that Hutchinson could pull off the victory.
