Joshua Buatsi: Steve Pons says British light heavyweight can still be world champion

I know Joshua Buatsi well, but at the same time I don’t know him at all.

Buatsi, who will face fellow Brit Zak Parker in a light heavyweight title in Manchester on Saturday night, is an incredibly special man.

In fact, he may be one of the most private boxers I’ve ever known.

He has a great Christian faith. He stands on the pulpit and delivers a sermon. He does a lot of work in different parts of the world, specifically Ghana, the country of his heritage.

None of this was covered, and he didn’t want any of it covered.

So there is no doubt that Buatsi is a great man.

But as a boxer, is he where I expected him to be, having physically watched him win Olympic bronze for Great Britain at Rio 2016?

No, it’s not. I thought it might be a little advanced. That doesn’t mean he won’t get where I expect him to get.

Since turning pro in 2017, Buatsi has had tough fights but has never suffered a defeat.

He’s 32 years old, but relatively fresh. He’s been learning, certainly in the last two or three years. He wasn’t overly combative. He does not get tired or tired.

With the way things could open up – a vacant title or two – I think he’ll become a world champion.