Palace can wait as Richards’ goal for now is beating Buatsi
CRAIG RICHARDS joked he is hoping to be snapped up by Crystal Palace in the summer transfer window and team up with Eberechi Eze after first knocking out Joshua Buatsi at the O2 tomorrow.
Boxer Richards and Palace midfielder Eze have traded sports in recent weeks — Richards taking a penalty at Selhurst Park and Eze lacing up his gloves in the gym for a sparring session.
Discussing the link-up, the London fighter said: “He goes to my church and I was talking about when Patrick Vieira signs me. He said he’d love to try boxing and came up the following Tuesday. He’s a good fighter, he picked it up quite well, he must have a brain for it.”
As for who was better at the other’s sport, Richards insisted it was a no contest. “I told him I’m going to be Palace’s star striker when I get signed!” he said. Eze is hoping to be at the O2 ahead of Palace’s last game of the season, at home against Manchester United, the following afternoon, with Richards planning to be at the game post-fight.
The light-heavyweight contest is billed as the Battle of South London, with both fighters having grown up in Croydon. Buatsi, an Olympic medallist, beat Richards in the amateur ranks, while the pair have also sparred in the professional ranks.
Ahead of the fight, Buatsi has been leaning on Anthony Joshua for advice. “One message I sent him was for tips on a derby, as he had one with Dillian Whyte,” he said. “I won’t reveal what he said but he passed on one or two things. And you listen because he’s been there, done it and walked the walk.”
Buatsi, undefeated in his 15 fights, is seen as the clear favourite, although Richards’ stock has risen since Canelo Alvarez’s shock defeat by Dmitry Bivol. The Russian had previously inflicted one of two career defeats on Richards.
Richards believes he remains undervalued in boxing circles. He said: “If you watch any of my fights, listen to the commentary. If I get caught it’s like, ‘oh my gosh, this ain’t great, how can he move onto the next level?’
“I watched Buatsi’s last fight and he got caught by six shots in a row and they were like, ‘this is Buatsi advertising a good chin’. Come on! The guy can’t do anything wrong with these commentators. But I don’t mind.”