It’s a crowded lane where every top heavyweight boxer has lined up to face the winner of Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury. While there are other heavyweights ahead in the queue, Joshua Buatsi has thrown his name into the mix, as he looks to bypass everyone after handing an impressive defeat to Willie Hutchinson.

Buatsi put on a show for the fans, as he came all guns blazing, with the eye on the prize: take the interim WBO heavyweight title and a ticket to face the champion next. He registered a split decision win as he swept the judges’ card, which read 112-113, 117-108, 115-110 in his favor. While the fight had everything that kept the 96,000 fans in the audience hooked and swayed them with every punch thrown, the judging didn’t sit well with them.

Joshua Buatsi and Willie Hutchinson bring the fight to each other

Hutchinson started strong, never allowing Buatsi to settle down with his body blows and switch of stances. However, he ate a jab from Buatsi, opening a cut on his face. Buatsi slowly found his footing in the fight, as he capitalized on his opponent’s low guard. He started working Hutchinson’s body and employed jabs to dictate the pace. In response, Hutchinson resorted to a one-two combination, followed by an uppercut to neutralize Buatsi’s jab. He also frustrated Buatsi with his right hooks.

But Buatsi’s ring generalship ensured Hutchinson found himself on the corner and his back towards the ropes with multiple jabs, as he effectively worked the jabs. It eventually bore fruit in the sixth round, as Hutchinson was on the receiving end of an onslaught and took a knee. Instead of Buatsi’s power, his volume punching slowly broke him down. While Hutchinson tried to muster a counterattack, he led the attack with his head, and the referee docked a point for the collision.

It wasn’t long before Buatsi’s relentless action took a toll on Hutchinson, and it remained the same throughout the fight, with viewers wondering how long Hutchinson could absorb the punishment. But he endured it all, despite finding himself on the receiving end of decision loss.

Fans laud Hutchinson for his show of heart

Dan Rafael heaped praise on the fight for its explosive nature and constant action. But he had the clear winner in his sight. He wrote, “#BuatsiHutchinson goes 12. Heck of a fight. Hutchinson down twice and had a point deducted. Other than that very close, competitive. Buatsi wins on my card.#boxing #JoshuaDubois.” Hutchinson’s two knockdowns and a point deduction for leading with the head had already sealed the fight. But he fought till the end, swinging wild.

Jake Donovan explained the difference between the skill sets of Hutchinson and Buatsi. He commented, “Joshua Buatsi batters Willy Hutchinson and floors him late in the sixth round. Hutchinson beats the count but learning the hard way that the top-rated Buatsi is miles better than Craig ‘Spider’ Richards. #BuatsiHutchinson #RiyadhSeasonCard #JoshuaDubois.” Notably, Hutchinson pulled an inspiring display against Craig Richards in his last fight, where he was the underdog. He again found himself against Buatsi in a similar position.

A comment shunned the judging for the wide disparity between the scoring. The comment read, “Woeful judging man.” The onlookers would point to the dominating display Buatsi had turned in, and apart from a couple of rounds, he was in total control of the fight.

A fan commended the Scottish fighter for not giving up, barely hanging by the thread till the end. They declared, “HutCHINson is tough. Dude literally got CHIN in his name lmao. #BuatsiHutchinson #JoshuaDubois.” Hutchinson took on whatever Buatsi threw at him, and despite the wobbly legs, never let his chin deceive him.

Lastly, someone noted the difference in the judges’ scorecards, which turned heads. They expressed, “Wtf were those scorecards oh my.” The scores puzzled everyone, as Hutchinson was only reacting to what Buatsi was throwing at him for the majority of the rounds.

What do you make of this fight between Joshua Buatsi and Willie Hutchinson on the Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois card? Let us know in the comments below.