Photos: Joshua Buatsi Snaps Layoff, Decisions Pawel Stepien Over Ten

Resorts World Arena, Birmingham – Top rated light heavyweight contender Joshua Buatsi (17-0, 13 KOs) snapped a year-long layoff by boxing his way to a ten round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Pawel Stepien (18-1-1, 12 KOs). (photos by Lawrence Lustig)

The scores were 98-92, 97-94 and 100-90.

It was a technical match for the first three rounds, with Buatsi simply outboxing Stepien in a careful manner. 

Buatsi began to step things up in the fourth, but then Stepien picked up his own workrate during the fifth. Neither fighter was really taking any chances as the contest played out for the next few rounds.

Buatsi was controlling the contest and coming forward, but seemed to be going through the gears by outboxing Stepien, who never seemed to be in serious danger.

In the ninth and tenth, Buatsi was pushing the pace and landing most of the effective punches. But he appeared content to keep boxing and never seemed to kick in a second gear by going for a stoppage win.