Joshua Buatsi is aware of he’s near a shot on the gentle heavyweight titles, however the Londoner shouldn’t be taking his eyes off Callum Smith.
Buatsi, a 2016 Olympian, faces Liverpool veteran Smith in Saudi Arabia on February 22 however could be excused for having an eye fixed on the primary occasion between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol, who meet in a rematch for the complete set of 175lbs belts.
Buatsi has the WBO interim belt and desires to parlay victory over Smith right into a combat with the winner of the bill-topper.
“I’m touching distance away,” he stated on the London press convention to unveil the massive present. “I used to be requested to convey my interim belt, however I stated ‘why would I try this when the true one is behind me?’ I’ve obtained to get Smith out of the best way, that’s all I’m fixated on.”
Smith has confronted questions earlier than about his starvation, having received the tremendous middleweight World Boxing Tremendous Collection in 2018 and misplaced closely to Canelo Alvarez in 2020. Final 12 months, Beterbiev brutally stopped him in seven rounds.
“The hearth’s nonetheless there… I all the time set myself objectives and I’ve been fortunate by way of my profession to attain all of them however I’ve set a purpose of turning into a two-weight world champion and it’s nonetheless not carried out. That’s why I’m right here. A win over Josh places me one step nearer to being there,” Smith stated.
“Successful that belt places me one step nearer to the place I need to be… I consider I’m ok to get the job carried out,” he added. “I’ve obtained to ensure the perfect model of me reveals up and I consider the perfect model of me beats Joshua Buatsi.”
