Joshua Buatsi stops Ricards Bolotniks in eleventh round

2016 Olympian Joshua Buatsi took another step up the world light-heavyweight rankings with a spectacular 11th round stoppage of the rugged Latvian Ricards Bolotniks in the third and final instalment of Matchroom Fight Camp 2021 in Brentwood, Essex.

It feels as if Buatsi at 28-years of age and a 15-0 with 13 Ko's record should be aiming his sights on a world title belt but he still needs that one big win that would provide him with that big-time experience, someone like  Marcus Browne, Maxim Vlasov, or Badou Jack because although none of those would start favourite against Artur Beterbiev or Dimitry Bivol, they have recently been tested at that level unlike Bolotniks or other previous Buatsi opposition.

New trainer Virgil Hunter has urged restraint in Buatsi's rise to world title contention but too many fights like this and the Marko Calic scare in October 2020 and his charge may become complacent.