Josh’s Yarde stick
STAR EYES BATTLE OF BRITS
JOSHUA BUATSI will set his sights on rival Anthony Yarde – once he has dealt with Marko Calic today.
The Olympic bronze medallist returns against Calic for his first fight in nearly 14 months – with illness and then the coronavirus pandemic keeping him out.
He hopes to defend his WBA International light-heavyweight belt again to take another step towards world level.
But before gunning for the biggest titles in the business, he knows a clash with fellow Londoner Yarde, whose only loss came against Sergey Kovalev for the world title, will be huge.
Buatsi said: “There will be bigger fights where belts are concerned.
“But currently, it’s the biggest fight there is at this stage of my career and this stage of his as well.
“It’s a fight people want to see.
Fighting for a world title would be big but, as it stands, there’s one fight everyone wants to see and it would be mega.”
Buatsi is 27 now and there was a time when that was considered a sportsman’s prime.
But Eddie Hearn’s prospect is adamant he is still working towards his peak and cannot wait to get back in the ring in Milton Keynes tonight.
He added: “I was talking with my mates during camp about prime ages. One of them said 27, 28. But each person is different, whether you have been in hard fights or not.
“There are a whole load of things you have to weigh up rather than just generalising.
“I feel like the best of me is yet to come, so it hasn’t crossed my mind whether I’m in my prime or not.”