Joshua Buatsi: record, next fight and profile →
Another ordered fight featuring Joshua Buatsi is at the mercy of the highest available bidder. BoxingScene.com has learned that a purse bid hearing has been assigned to determine promotional rights to the IBF-ordered title eliminator between England’s Buatsi and Quebec’s Jean Pascal. The IBF scheduled the hearing for August 30, after the negotiation period expired without a deal in place.
Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez continues to move closer to his goal of becoming a two-division titlist. BoxingScene.com has confirmed that the WBA has scheduled a purse bid hearing for August 21—a Sunday—to determine promotional rights for light heavyweight title fight between Ramirez and defending champion Dmitry Bivol. The order comes a day after the WBA rejected a special permit filed by Matchroom Boxing to seek a voluntary fight between Bivol and Joshua Buatsi.
Joshua Buatsi and Eddie Hearn will have to settle for the fights already ordered by two separate sanctioning bodies. BoxingScene.com has confirmed that the WBA has rejected a request submitted by Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing to grant an exemption for WBA light heavyweight titlist Dmitry Bivol. The hope was for Bivol to bypass a mandatory title defense against Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez and instead face Buatsi, though to no avail.
Jean Pascal and his team remain hopeful that current talks with unbeaten contender Joshua Buatsi will lead to a showdown later this fall.
An easier time came of proceeding with plans to determine the next IBF mandatory challenger than was the case at heavyweight earlier this year. BoxingScene.com has confirmed that representatives for Joshua Buatsi and Jean Pascal have both responded to and accepted an invitation from the IBF to enter talks for a sanctioned final eliminator. Both parties were required to respond by Monday at 5:00 p.m. with their intentions to proceed with the fight, which will be followed by the next step of the IBF assigning a free negotiation period to work out terms.
Jean Pascal punched his way back into title contention at the right time. BoxingScene.com has confirmed that the International Boxing Federation (IBF) formally ordered a light heavyweight title eliminator between Quebec’s Pascal and London’s Joshua Buatsi on Friday. The two sides will be granted a free negotiation period to work out terms for such a fight to determine the IBF mandatory challenger to lineal and unified light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev (18-0, 18KOs).
Eddie Hearn believes there is a distinct possibility that Canelo Alvarez’s desire for a Dmitry Bivol rematch may take longer than expected. Bivol, the WBA light heavyweight champion, was recently ordered by the sanctioning body to fight mandatory challenger Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez.
Eddie Hearn intends to fight the latest directive from the WBA. The sanctioning body recently ordered a fight between its light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol of Russia and his top challenger, Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez of Mexico. Bivol, whom Hearn promotes, is coming off a successful, career-changing defense in May with a victory over Canelo Alvarez. Ramirez is backed by Golden Boy.
Promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom has revealed that he has made an offer to British Olympian Joshua Buatsi to face WBA light heavyweight world champion Dmitry Bivol.
Amid some sobering analysis, Virgil Hunter also had some high praise for his charge Joshua Buatsi. Hunter, the veteran Oakland-based trainer, offered some circumspect words regarding Buatsi’s latest performance in the ring.