With the Anthony Joshua–Daniel Dubois fight, the heavyweight division is following a set path. It falls in between the Tyson Fury–Oleksandr Usyk clashes. After their December 21 rematch, the cards in the weight class will be decked neatly for the upcoming year. So when the heavyweights could take the lead, why should their lighter brothers fall behind? After the glamor division had its first undisputed champion in 25 years, the light heavyweight set forth on a course to get its flag bearer. The date is set for next month, on October 12, when Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev face off to settle the matter.

Thus, the situation makes it imperative to line up provisions for the next rung in the 175-pound weight class. So to put the intent into effect, there will be a match between WBO’s top two contenders, Joshua Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson. The pair fight on one of the Joshua-Dubois undercards. So let’s check how the two boxers stack up against each other.

Joshua Buatsi vs. Willy Hutchinson: Head-to-Head Comparison

Certainly not a battle of seasoned veterans, the Buatsi-Hutchinson clash has relatively younger fighters entering the ring. The Accra, Ghana-born Buatsi turned 31 on March 14. His Scottish counterpart, on the other hand, turned 26 a month ago, on August 4. Not much of a height difference—against ‘Just Business’ 6 feet and 2 inches on an 188-centimeter frame; with his 6 feet and an inch, or 185 centimeters, height, ‘The Hutch Train’ falls short just by an inch.

There’s a slight disparity when it comes to the hand reach. Existing records mention Joshua Buatsi having a reach of 74 and a half inches or 189 centimeters. But there’s no such information available for Willy Hutchinson. Then, regarding weight, the boxers are yet to be through with the final weigh-ins. However, during their last fights, the weighing machine displayed 174 pounds for both Buatsi and Hutchinson as they went against Dan Azeez and Craig Richards, respectively.

Interestingly, both fighters share a lot of similarities in their fight records. ‘Just Business’ remains unbeaten. Out of his eighteen professional wins, Thirteen came his way through knockouts, which means his knockout-win rate stands at 72%. At the opposite corner, ‘The Hutch Train’ has entered the ring nineteen times, where he emerged victorious in eighteen, of which 13 were early stoppages. The sole difference remains the loss Hutchinson suffered 3 years ago.

Joshua Buatsi vs. Willy Hutchinson: Performance Snapshot

So reports suggest that with nearly +200 odds stacked against him, Willy Hutchinson enters the fight as a heavy underdog against Joshua Buatsi, who is expected to win by a -280 margin. Their records and experience stand on par. Both the challengers started their pro-boxing careers in 2017.

But where Buatsi comes with a spotless record, Hutchinson has to contend with one setback. The former secured his last three wins via unanimous decisions. In Hutchinson’s case, barring the Richards bout, all the previous ones following his lone defeat ended in knockouts.

So it’s safe to assume that Joshua Buatsi might try to drag the sprightly Willy Hutchinson the whole distance. Though the knockout-to-win rate for both reads the same, it is worth noting that Hutchinson, given his recent performances, appears to have a higher proclivity to close the business early in rounds.

As the fight against friend Dan Azeez revealed, Buatsi could be susceptible to counterpunches. However, as the round progresses with a higher output, the Ghanaian-British boxer may soon find himself in his zone, getting busier. But Carstairs-born Hutchinson doesn’t perceive the attributes as a great challenge. Speaking with Sky Sports, he said, “I’ll demolish this man—he’s an easier fight than my last opponent, that’s for sure. I believe I’ll knock him out. This man is just not good enough. There are a lot better men out there who haven’t got as big a name behind them as him.”

Hutchinson’s June 1 win over Craig Richards, who suffered his third loss to Buatsi two years ago, in many ways proved a point—whether he is ready to take on a highly-rated boxer. With Virgil Hunter manning his corner, fans may witness Joshua Buatsi fielding a patient, disciplined game to eventually gas out Willy Hutchinson.

Nevertheless, to many, both boxers come off as equals. Fans could expect either an adrenaline-fueled exchange or a brilliant technical display over a long drawn-out battle.

Do you also feel that Joshua Buatsi has a clear upper hand over Willy Hutchinson?