Joshua Buatsi and Callum Johnson are scheduled to face opponents in March that they should defeat.
If Buatsi beats Blake Caparello and Johnson overcomes Igor Mikhalkin, Eddie Hearn would like to put together a Buatsi-Johnson fight later this year. A bout between the 26-year-old, unbeaten Buatsi (12-0, 10 KOs) and the hard-hitting Johnson (18-1, 13 KOs) is one Hearn considers a compelling domestic showdown for fans in the United Kingdom.
“I really feel like Buatsi against Callum Johnson is a really good fight,” Hearn told IFL TV during a wide-ranging interview posted recently to its YouTube channel. “And that’s one I would like to see in 2020. And it could end up being a defense of a world title, or even [for] a vacant world title.”
England’s Johnson and Russia’s Mikhalkin (23-2, 10 KOs) are set to meet March 7 in Manchester, England, for the EBU light heavyweight title.
Johnson, 34, is scheduled to fight that night for the first time in almost exactly a year. His long layoff since stopping Sean Monaghan in the third round last March 9 in Verona, New York, mostly was caused by a shoulder injury suffered last summer.
“Callum Johnson [has had] a stop-start career that is quite frustrating,” Hearn said. “But he’s had his injuries [in 2019], a shoulder injury. Brilliant win in March against Seanie Monaghan. You know, Callum’s Beterbiev performance now looks so good. I mean, he had him down and he had him hurt. He didn’t jump on him. He could’ve beaten him in that fight. And he was coming off a massive spell of inactivity as well. “
“So, couple that with the Seanie Monaghan fight, great performance. Strong, can punch very hard. There’s a lot happening right now in the light heavyweight division. He’s due to fight on March the 7th. We’re looking to do a show in Manchester, with Mikhalkin, for the European title. Good fight, tough fight. And then I believe he should fight for the world title.”
The Ghanaian-born, London-based Buatsi, meanwhile, will square off against Australia’s Caparello (30-3-1, 13 KOs) at some point in March, according to Hearn. They were supposed to fight in a WBA eliminator November 2 in Manchester, but Buatsi withdrew due to an illness.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.