Craig Richards isn’t bothered by being a labelled an underdog once again.
The former world title challenger is priced at 4/1 (with BetFred) ahead of his domestic light-heavyweight clash against the odds on 2/11 favourite Joshua Buatsi this weekend.
Their promoter Eddie Hearn insists the fight is much closer than that, but Richards (17-2-1,10 KOs) says he is used to being written off and is happy to prove people wrong once again.
“I’ve been the underdog many times and it never bothers me; it doesn’t change the outcome for me – you still have to do the work in there,” Richards said in a Matchroom press release.
Richards’ credible performance against Dmitry Bivol 12 months ago has seen its stock rise following the WBA champion’s recent victory over Canelo Alvarez.
“If you see the performance, I put in against Bivol against the performance Canelo, put in, our fight was closer,” said Richards.
“If I had started a bit quicker, I could have won the fight and I gave him problems. I had to go through negative commentary, people pushing this agenda that ‘Bivol had an off-night’. Every time I beat someone, they have an off night. How come it can’t be that I am good, and I am making these fighters look not as good as people say because of my skill?”
Despite seemingly obvious frustrations with certain members of the boxing community, Craig Richards says the past will soon be forgotten if he doesn’t perform against Buatsi (15-0, 13 KOs).
“Saturday is what matters – getting credit now or then it doesn’t really change anything. If I don’t go and perform, everything I’ve done is dead and buried. I’ve dealt with a lot of negatives around my performances and my career, I think that the Bivol performance and then his win over Canelo is going to increase the attention and that people will see I gave him a harder fight and that might change people’s opinions of May 21.”