Light heavyweight contender Joshua Buatsi is still very much interested in a domestic showdown with rival Anthony Yarde.
This past Saturday night in Birmingham, Buatsi returned for the first time in 350 days to pick up a one-sided unanimous decision win over unbeaten Pawel Stepien.
It was Buatsi’s first bout of his promotional deal with Boxxer. The Olympian parted ways with longtime promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom.
At the moment, the world champions in the weight class are tied up.
WBC, IBF, WBO champion Artur Beterbiev is going to make a mandatory defense against Callum Smith, while WBA champion Dmitry Bivol appears to be lined up for Mexican superstar Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in September.
One of the bigger options for Buatsi is a clash with Yarde, who in his last bout was stopped in a very spirited effort against Beterbiev.
“It’s been right for a long time. Interest is still there,” Buatsi said to BBC Sport.
“I have been saying all week and a long time, I don’t want to turn 40 and say ‘damn, I didn’t fight Anthony Yarde’.”
Buatsi wants to stay very active, hoping to get another fight in the next few months. Ultimately, he was happy to finally get back in the ring and put some rounds in the bank.
And, he wants a stiffer challenge for the next date.
“Ultimately, it was about the win, because if I hadn’t it would have made my next fight very difficult for me. It was an OK performance, but it was good for me to be back out there,” Buatsi said.
“Ideally I would like a step-up opponent, and be out there in July, maybe August. I’ll be heading out to camp very soon. Domestic or international I don’t mind, I just want a big fight to take my ranking up.”