Joshua Buatsi will face former World Title challenger Craig Richards in a huge all London Light-Heavyweight clash on Saturday May 21, live worldwide on DAZN (excluding New Zealand and Australia).
Weights: Joshua Buatsi 174.75 vs Craig Richards 174.25
Alen Babic 208.4 vs Adam Balski 210.25
Robbie Davies Jr 139.75 vs Javier Molina 139.75
Chantelle Cameron 140 vs Victoria Noelia Bustos 137.3
Joshua Buatsi: “I think there are always people to prove wrong, Eddie… The talking is nearly done. We’re going to find out on Saturday. The switch hasn’t flicked yet. I don’t think it personally flicked during that face-off, but we are two or three days away, and the switch will definitely flick.
“The struggle from camp, I’ve got that in me. And I know how I want to perform on Saturday. And it’s time to show it because the base was very hard. And I’ve paid the price, but someone else has got to pay it now.
“The way that life is now, I go anywhere I need to go to improve. It happened to be in the States. It happened to be in Cali, where I’m at. We all have one career. So wherever I have to be, that’s where I have to be. My family and my friends understand that when it’s all over, we can party and we can celebrate. But for now, Saturday is what’s next.
“Every boxer has got an ego. Everyone sitting on this table has an ego and wants to win. Who here wants to go into a fight and lose? No hands. See what I’m saying.
“I win by being myself. You can look at the stats and say, ‘oh, this is how he usually wins; this is the style that he fights,’ but I’m going to bring it, and I’m in it to win it. There’s no other way.”
Craig Richards:
“100% Eddie, I do believe that I’ll be victorious; otherwise, I would it be here today. I think all the fights I’ve taken have put me in good stead.
“I say what I want to say. If I feel something, I say it.
“It’s not personal to Josh, and I believe that I’m the best in the division. I’m very good at adapting to fighters. I’ve got an excellent IQ, and it just depends on what I want to bring and what I’ve got in the toolbox that night. And I believe I’ve got the tools to get the job done on Saturday night. It’s not personal to him. It’s just that I think I can beat anyone.
“I’ve got to keep proving the doubters wrong.”
Chantelle Cameron:
“I know this will be a tough fight, but that’s what I want. I want to prove that I’m a worthy World champion. I like the tough fights.
“If the stoppage comes, it’ll be nice… I’m hitting harder, and I’m fitter. We’ve been working on a few tactics, and I think my punches will be a bit more hurtful, yeah.”
Victoria Bustos:
“Whenever I prepare for any fight, I prepare well… we have crafted excellently.
“I think the fight will be a fantastic one on Saturday. I think it will be pretty strategic and tactical, you know.
“Whenever I’ve been called upon for an opportunity, I never say no… I step up. And this is the same case on Saturday.
“In terms of Saturday night, it’s all about not missing the opportunity… but you never know, fights can be great, and they can turn out brilliantly but let’s see how this one’s going to go.”
Alen Babic:
“I’m fulfilling my dream every time I come here. I’m in the best shape of my life.
“I expect this to be another knockout, a crazy knockout. I’m not just going there to box. I’m back to my old self. I’m just going to try to knock out this guy. I respect him, and he respects me. It’s all good.
“Let’s all end careers by The Savage!
“I don’t have opinions. I do stuff, and that’s what I’m going to do.”
Adam Balksi:
“As long as I can remember, my friends from Poland lost when they came here, but I’m here to win.
“First of all, I respect my opponent, but he might not have too much experience in boxing. We will see on Saturday in the ring.”
Robbie Davies Jr:
“Every fight that gets offered now, I accept them all and leave them to the team. They will sort it out, and I’ll fight them all.”
Javier Molina:
“I know Robbie is a tough fighter, and I’m coming off two losses against two tough fighters.
“I’m coming back down to my natural weight, and I’ve been training hard. After two losses, I never questioned my ability or what I could do in the sport. The only thing I questioned was what I needed to adjust.”
Ellie Scotney:
“I’ve stepped up every fight, and I’m winning too, so Saturday night is another step, and I got a step up, so I’ll make sure that I do.”
Cecilia Roman:
“When you accept a defeat, it’s not something that holds you back forever. It brings more will to come back and perseverance. I’ve got a huge desire to perform well this weekend.”
Chevron Clarke:
“Yeah, fight number two! I’m looking forward to correcting things that I didn’t do right in fight number one.
“I don’t think many people can say they’ve had back-to-back fights at The O2 at the start of their careers. So I’m excited about that! And also we’re in London, my home city, so lots of people can come and watch. Looking forward to performing.”
Cyrus Pattinson:
“You’ve just got to dust yourself off and carry on.
“When you cannot control what happens in a situation, you have to control how you respond, and that’s all I’ve been trying to do, staying positive.
“I feel like I’m transitioning to the pros now. I want to have one more fight at eight rounds, and then I think I’m ready.”
John Hedges:
“This is my third one on the spin at The O2, so I can’t complain. I’m getting spoiled here!
“I want to show development and keep on improving … and hopefully keep the ball rolling so that performances get better.
Shiloh Defreitas:
“For this fight, I’ve learned something different about myself. You’ll see another side to me in this fight, a spiteful side.
“I chose the harder route on purpose because it makes me develop, and I try harder and push harder.”
