A fiercely contested domestic rivalry will reach its apex in Manchester on Saturday when Joshua Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson step back into the ring, this time with the vacant WBC world light-heavyweight championship hanging in the balance.
The two British light-heavyweights first crossed paths in September 2024 on the high-profile undercard of Daniel Dubois’ victory over Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium. That initial 12-round encounter proved to be an absorbing, hard-fought clash. Londoner Buatsi, now 33, managed to floor the Scotsman twice en route to securing a hard-earned split-decision victory.
For Hutchinson, the setback marked only the second defeat of his professional career. However, the 28-year-old has since launched a determined resurgence. Back-to-back victories following that night have catapulted him straight into world title contention, setting up an immediate and high-stakes rematch.
The central questions heading into Saturday night are clear: Can Buatsi repeat his victory and finally capture the world championship that has eluded him throughout his career? Or will an evolving Hutchinson exact revenge and claim gold on the big stage?
With opinion sharply split across the sport, figures from around the boxing world shared their predictions on how Saturday’s world title contest will unfold.
Chantelle Cameron – Two-Weight World Champion
Former two-weight world champion Chantelle Cameron believes the experience and power of Buatsi will ultimately tell in the championship rounds, predicting that the Londoner can go one better than his first victory by securing a late stoppage.
"Buatsi may stop him this time in the later rounds," Cameron explained. "I think he gets it done between rounds nine and 12."
Prediction: Buatsi
David Allen – British Heavyweight
British heavyweight David Allen sees a shifting dynamic between the two fighters since their initial encounter. For Allen, Hutchinson’s development since their first fight gives the Scotsman the critical edge in the rematch.
"Willy has improved massively since the first fight, whereas I’m not sure I could say the same for Joshua," Allen noted.
Prediction: Hutchinson
Carl Frampton – Former World Champion
Former two-division world champion Carl Frampton anticipates another tightly contested affair. Reflecting on their first bout, Frampton noted that while Hutchinson suffered two knockdowns, his overall boxing display was solid. With Hutchinson showing signs of maturity and Buatsi fighting for a career-defining title, Frampton edges toward a changing of the guard.
"It’s a really good fight," Frampton said. "I think the first fight was very good — Willy was dropped a couple of times in the fight and that cost him. Otherwise, his performance was OK. He’s matured a lot since that fight and is in good form.
"Buatsi has maybe just started to look old, but the fact the world title is on the line… When he turned professional, everyone thought he was a shoo-in to become world champion and he hasn’t achieved it yet. This is the chance, so we may see a level of Buatsi that we haven’t seen in a while.
"I think it’ll be really competitive, but I’m just edging Hutchinson to win on points with the run of form he’s on."
Prediction: Hutchinson
Viddal Riley – European Cruiserweight Champion
European cruiserweight champion Viddal Riley believes momentum and freshness favor the Scottish challenger. While acknowledging Buatsi’s proven toughness, Riley feels Hutchinson’s hunger will prove decisive in Manchester.
"Willy Hutchinson will get the win — it’s his time," Riley asserted. "Buatsi is a tough fighter and it won’t be easy, but when I look at who is fresh and who has the bit between their teeth a little more — I’m backing Hutchinson."
Prediction: Hutchinson
Denzel Bentley – Former WBO Middleweight Champion
Former WBO middleweight champion Denzel Bentley expects Buatsi to capitalize on his long-awaited opportunity. Having entered the professional ranks following his Olympic campaign a decade ago, Buatsi has taken a methodical path to his first world title opportunity, and Bentley believes his confidence will carry him through.
"I’m going for a repeat for Buatsi and he finally gets his hands on a world title," Bentley said. "It has been 10 years since he was at the Olympics and it felt like he slipped away from that batch of fighters.
"Buatsi does things in his own time and he’s finally got his shot. It comes at a great time for him. It could go two ways — he’s either overconfident because he’s beaten Willy or his confidence could be a good thing and he could step on it early, and I think it’s the second one.
"I can’t see Willy getting stopped — he’s tough — so I’m going Buatsi on points, but he might get a knockdown."
Prediction: Buatsi
Tony Bellew – Former Cruiserweight World Champion
Former cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellew relies on historical patterns in boxing rematches, suggesting that overcoming a previous defeat is a rare feat in high-level boxing.
"It’s very rare people can turn the rematch around when they lose the first one," Bellew said. "On that basis, I am going for Joshua Buatsi, possibly even by late stoppage."
Prediction: Buatsi
Zelfa Barrett – Former European Super-Featherweight Champion
Former European super-featherweight champion Zelfa Barrett highlighted technical vulnerabilities from the first fight as the key factor, pointing specifically to Buatsi’s body attacks as the decisive weapon.
"I’m going with Buatsi to win again," Barrett said. "Hutchinson showed he was weak to the body and that could be his kryptonite.
"Hutchinson is a good fighter; he’s slick and sharp, but I think Buatsi has his number and wins on points."
Prediction: Buatsi
Sam Jones – Boxing Manager
Prominent boxing manager Sam Jones, who has monitored Hutchinson’s progression since his early days in the sport, believes the timing of this rematch heavily favors the younger contender.
"Willy Hutchinson is in his physical and mental prime and I think he wins the fight," Jones said. "I’ve known Willy since he turned professional as an 18-year-old.
"He’s always had the tools to be a world champion and I believe timing is everything in boxing. I believe he’s also catching Buatsi at the right time."
Prediction: Hutchinson
Darren Barker – Former Middleweight World Champion
Former middleweight world champion Darren Barker paid tribute to Hutchinson’s resilience in their first meeting while pointing out the recent grueling ring time Buatsi has accumulated—including a tough clash with Callum Smith and a hard-fought win over Zach Parker.
"What a rematch," Barker said. "He showed his worth, his bottle and his ability did Willy Hutchinson in that first fight and proved a lot as a fighter.
"Joshua Buatsi had a very good fight with Callum Smith, although he came out second best. Not so impressive in his win over Zach Parker, it was a close fight so a lot of questions surround him and what’s left.
"Hutchinson is a man in form and looks like a man who is matured both physically and mentally. This is a fantastic rematch with the WBC light-heavyweight title on the line. It promises to be an action-packed contest and the pot of gold is massive."
Prediction: Hutchinson
Ade Oladipo – DAZN Presenter
DAZN presenter Ade Oladipo noted how significantly the gap between the two contenders has narrowed since their first encounter. While Hutchinson gained valuable momentum with a impressive victory over Ezra Taylor, questions remain over the physical toll exacted on Buatsi from his battle with Callum Smith.
"A rematch that I didn’t think would come around but it all makes sense with the added incentive of gold," Oladipo observed. "Someone will leave as world champion. The first time they fought, it was 80-20 Buatsi for me, but Hutchinson was a lot better than I expected.
"He has now closed that gap drastically and now it’s 55-45 Buatsi. How much has Callum Smith taken out of Buatsi? On the flip side, Hutchinson, after that defeat, has gone from strength to strength.
"He showed everything in his last fight against Ezra Taylor. I favour Buatsi just, but we’ll see how much that Smith fight took out of him. I think Buatsi will be world champion, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Willy Hutchinson walks home with gold."
Prediction: Buatsi
With the boxing landscape evenly split—five predictions favoring Buatsi and five backing Hutchinson—Saturday night in Manchester promises to provide definitive answers to one of British boxing’s most compelling rivalries.
