In a thrilling night of championship boxing at the Manchester Arena, Scottish contender Willy Hutchinson reached the pinnacle of the light heavyweight division, capturing the vacant WBC Light Heavyweight World Title with a hard-earned unanimous decision victory over rivals Joshua Buatsi. Headlining Queensberry Promotions’ stacked "A Point 2 Prove" event, the high-stakes rematch delivered twelve rounds of tactical shifts, dramatic turnarounds, and intense exchanges before the judges crowned a new world champion.
The Saturday night card was packed with championship action from top to bottom, featuring Jack Rafferty securing the vacant IBO welterweight world title in a twelve-round battle, Gully Powar claiming British featherweight glory in a dramatic technical decision, and explosive stoppage victories on the undercard. Broadcast live on DAZN and promoted by Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, the evening reshaped multiple divisions and provided definitive answers in key domestic and world-level showdowns.
Buatsi vs. Hutchinson: Main Event Breakdown and Official Results
Entering the main event, the storyline centered around redemption and rivalry. Joshua Buatsi entered the ring holding a 20-1 professional record, having previously secured a victory over Hutchinson in their first encounter. Hutchinson, bringing a 20-2 record into the ring, sought not only revenge but also the ultimate prize at 175 pounds: the vacant WBC light heavyweight world crown. With both fighters aiming to establish themselves among the elite at light heavyweight, the opening bell set off a clash of styles and strategic adjustments.
Hutchinson controlled the early narrative of the fight, using sharp movement, active jab work, and clean counter-punching to banking early rounds. In World Boxing News’ ringside scoring, Hutchinson took total control of the opening phase of the contest, claiming the first four rounds cleanly (10-9, 10-9, 10-9, 10-9). Buatsi found a moment of success in the fifth round, asserting his physicality to take the frame 10-9, but Hutchinson immediately regained momentum. The Scot swept the sixth and seventh rounds on the WBN card (10-9 and 10-9), establishing a commanding early lead by winning six of the first seven rounds.
Facing a steep deficit, Buatsi mounted a fierce comeback in the second half of the fight. Starting in the eighth round, Buatsi increased his work rate, pressing forward and forcing Hutchinson onto the back foot. Buatsi’s relentless pressure earned him five consecutive rounds on the WBN scorecard, sweeping rounds eight, nine, ten, eleven, and twelve (10-9 in each).
By the conclusion of twelve rounds, WBN scored the contest a 114-114 draw, reflecting Hutchinson’s dominant start balanced against Buatsi’s strong finishing surge. However, the official ringside judges saw Hutchinson’s early control as enough to build an insurmountable lead. Judge scorecards favored Hutchinson across the board, returning scores of 117-112, 115-113, and 115-113.
With the unanimous decision victory, Hutchinson avenged his previous career loss to Buatsi and left Manchester as the new WBC light heavyweight world champion, solidifying his position at the summit of the 175-pound weight class.
Full Event Results and Undercard Recap
Jack Rafferty vs. Hovhannes Martirosyan — Vacant IBO Welterweight World Title
In the chief support bout, unbeaten contender Jack Rafferty captured his first world title, claiming the vacant IBO Welterweight Championship with a victory over Hovhannes Martirosyan. Rafferty demonstrated superior tactical pacing and power throughout the twelve-round contest, keeping Martirosyan under constant pressure.
The crowning moment of the bout came late in the final frame, when Rafferty dropped Martirosyan with a heavy combination in the twelfth round. Martirosyan beat the count, but the late knockdown capped off an impressive display from Rafferty. All three judges scored the bout in Rafferty’s favor, turning in cards of 116-111, 116-111, and 114-113. The unanimous decision victory extended Rafferty’s undefeated professional record to 28-0-1 while earning him world champion status at welterweight.
Bradley Rea vs. Ezra Taylor — Light Heavyweight Division
Manchester’s own Bradley Rea delivered one of the most explosive performances of the night in a light heavyweight clash against Ezra Taylor. Rea wasted no time taking control of the contest, unleashing powerful power shots from the opening bell.
In the second round, Rea caught Taylor early, sending him to the canvas twice in quick succession. After the second knockdown, referee Michael Alexander stepped in to wave off the fight just 58 seconds into round two, judging Taylor unable to continue. The quick knockout victory improved Rea’s professional record to 23-2, registering the 12th stoppage win of his career.
Gully Powar vs. Zak Miller — Vacant British Featherweight Title
The battle for the vacant British Featherweight Championship between Gully Powar and Zak Miller ended in dramatic and unfortunate circumstances, resolving via a unanimous technical decision in the tenth round.
The fight was a closely contested affair until an accidental clash of heads resulted in severe swelling around Miller’s left eye and head. Upon medical advice from the ringside physician, the contest was halted during the tenth round as Miller was deemed unable to continue due to the physical damage caused by the collision.
Because the fight had passed the required distance for a technical decision, the bout went to the scorecards. All three judges scored the contest for Powar, returning tallies of 96-95, 97-95, and 96-94. With the victory, Powar captured the British featherweight crown and improved his professional record to 14-1-1.
Early Undercard Action
The preliminary portion of the card featured several rising prospects and notable veteran returns across multiple divisions:
- Stephen Clarke vs. Harley Collison: Middleweight prospect Stephen Clarke continued his impressive climb through the ranks, controlling his fight against Harley Collison to secure a clear points victory. Clarke extended his unblemished professional record to 11-0.
- John Joe Carrigan vs. Cheikh Diop: Super welterweight puncher John Joe Carrigan maintained his flawless finish rate by stopping Cheikh Diop inside the distance, keeping his 100% knockout record perfectly intact.
- Tony Yoka vs. Kostiantyn Dovbyshchenko: French heavyweight contender and Olympic gold medalist Tony Yoka returned to action after a hiatus of nearly a year. Taking on heavy-handed Kostiantyn Dovbyshchenko over six rounds, Yoka banked a controlled unanimous decision win. The victory was Yoka’s fifth consecutive win since rebounding from three straight career defeats, elevating his professional record to 15-3.
- Javokhir Ummataliev vs. Atacayte Santana: Emerging Uzbek prospect Javokhir Ummataliev put on an impressive boxing display against Atacayte Santana, out-scoring his opponent across six rounds to earn a clear decision victory and move to 3-0 as a professional.
- Alex Arthur Jr vs. Jose Aguirre: Super middleweight prospect Alex Arthur Jr maintained his unbeaten record with a six-round decision victory over Jose Aguirre. The disciplined performance ensured Arthur Jr stayed perfect in his professional journey, improving to six wins from six fights.
- Tumi Phillips vs. Angelo Dragone: Opening the event at super lightweight, Tumi Phillips kicked off the night at Manchester Arena by securing a points victory over Angelo Dragone over the scheduled distance, building on his momentum to improve his professional record to 7-1.
Event Summary and Fight Preview Context
The "A Point 2 Prove" event presented by Queensberry Promotions delivered significant developments across international and domestic boxing landscapes. Heading into the evening, much of the focus rested on whether Joshua Buatsi could replicate his past victory over Willy Hutchinson to claim the vacant WBC light heavyweight title, or if Hutchinson could exact revenge to secure his first world crown.
Hutchinson’s victory fundamentally shifts the hierarchy of the 175-pound division, placing the Scottish fighter at the top of the WBC rankings with a world championship belt in tow. Combined with Jack Rafferty’s dominant performance to claim the vacant IBO welterweight title and Gully Powar’s British featherweight success, the Manchester Arena event served as a major turning point for multiple fighters aiming for long-term championship reign.
