[ad_1]
Joshua Buatsi cleared the best way for a world light-heavyweight title shot after claiming a factors win over Craig Richards on the O2 Area in London.
uatsi, an Olympic bronze medallist in Rio in 2016, dominated the early phases then fended off a giant comeback by Richards to say a 116-112, 115-113, 115-113 unanimous verdict.
His win in a bout promoted as a WBA title eliminator ought to land him a shot at Dmitry Bivol, who received the belt in a surprising upset over Saul Alvarez earlier this month.
Bivol’s win over Alvarez had served to boost the repute of Richards, the 32-year-old who suffered his solely profession defeat on factors to Bivol final yr.
However the sturdy and correct Buatsi seized the benefit from the beginning and it took Richards till the fifth spherical to actually start to make any sort of impression.
Buatsi was sturdy and correct however tended to search out success in bursts, and Richards got here on sturdy within the eighth spherical with a giant proper hand adopted by a flurry that appeared to bother the favorite.
Richards landed extra rights within the ninth however Buatsi continued to shade the cleaner work and pair continued to change onerous blows in an thrilling finale earlier than Buatsi’s arm was finally raised.
[ad_2]
Source link