After delays due to injury, British light heavyweight contenders Joshua Buatsi and Dan Azeez are finally getting it on this weekend.
These former sparring partners have been friends throughout their careers but now must put that aside as they come face to face in the O2 Arena in London.
Azeez is the British, Commonwealth and European light heavyweight champion and has quickly risen up through the ranks with little amateur experience while Buatsi was a much-heralded amateur who took a silver medal in the Olympics back in 2016.
He remains unbeaten, though his career has moved slowly since then. This fight, which was scheduled for October but had to be pulled just ten days out because of a back injury to Azeez, is a WBA world title eliminator so represents a big chance for one man to kick on.
Speaking to Boxing Social, former Buatsi promoter Eddie Hearn explained how he sees the fight going.
“Coming through and on paper, you would expect Buatsi to handle him handily, but he’s just been out of sports, he’s had no momentum, hasn’t looked good in his last couple of fights, so I make it a close fight.”
He then sided with Buatsi but foresees a tough contest.
“If Josh is still the fighter I thought he would be I think he wins, but Azeez is going to be on him and take him to the well, perhaps. It’s going to be a good fight.”
Whoever wins will be well-placed to take on the winner of the proposed light heavyweight unification contest between Artur Beterbiev and Dimitri Bivol, which could well happen this summer.