A decade-long friendship will be put to one side on Saturday, October 21st when unbeaten and highly rated light heavyweight contenders Joshua Buatsi (17-0, 13 KOs) and ‘Super’ Dan Azeez (19-0, 13 KOs) collide in London at the O2 Arena. Buatsi is rated WBA #1, WBO #1, WBC #2, IBF #3. Azeez is rated WBA #2, WBC #3, WBO #3, IBF #5. The bout will air on Sky Sports.
Joshua Buatsi: “We’ve been friends for years but there’s too much on the line here for either of us to say no to this fight. We can be friends again afterwards but on October 21st it’s all business. I’m preparing to beat the best version of Dan Azeez and I’m doing everything I need to do to achieve that, whether that’s by decision or knockout.”
Dan Azeez: “I’ve earned my way to get to this stage of my career and there’s still more to earn and prove. This fight is another step closer to the top and it means a lot to me so I’m preparing like I always do for everything and anything in order to be victorious come October 21st.”
WBA’s #1 & 2. Beterbiev is injured and already has his next opponent and Canelo went back to 168… WHO is Bivol fighting in 2023???
Good fight this one, on paper, might be leaning Azeez, actually.
A name immediately popped up in my head. At first I laughed at it. But after thinking a couple of minutes, maybe not that stupid anyway … Badou Jack.
The last I heard Badou Jack was going up to fight Lukasz Rozanski at bridgerweight. Maybe Gvozdyk for Bivol?
Must be hard for fighters to go from friends to trying to take each others head off and then back to friends. Surely fighting each other has to change a friendship in one way or another
The winner of this should go onto to fight Canelo.