Joshua Buatsi vs. Daniel Blenda Dos Santos: Fight Preview

Oliver McManus

Manchester’s AO Area performs host to a triple-header of European title fights on Saturday evening with Joshua Buatsi nominally headlining in a WBA Worldwide contest.

Terri Harper’s unification contest with Hyun Mi Choi was scheduled for the present till Harper was pressured to withdraw and endure surgical procedure on her hand. Entering into the limelight will probably be Buatsi who seems to make it 14-0 towards, unbeaten Frenchman, Daniel Blenda Dos Santos.

To say Dos Santos is an uninspiring opponent is to state the apparent however typically the apparent reply is the proper one! When the cardboard received introduced, Joshua Buatsi was the one fighter with out a named opponent prompting a lot skepticism and hypothesis on social media about potential foes.

Dos Santos was introduced to little fanfare and there’s little or no info out there about him: apart from a characteristic piece with France3 final yr.

The most important speaking level to this struggle is Buatsi’s link-up with Virgil Hunter and what variations to Buatsi we’d spot now he’s based mostly himself in California. What we are able to anticipate from Daniel Blenda Dos Santos is anybody’s guess however this actually needs to be the final routine run-up for Buatsi earlier than dealing with some stiffer opposition.

Tommy McCarthy defends his EBU cruiserweight title towards Romanian contender Alexandru Jur. Having taken the Italian job – with wins over Francesco Cataldo and Fabio Turchi – since shedding to Richard Riakporhe in 2019, McCarthy was rewarded with a European title shot final October.

The 30-year-old edged out Bilal Laggoune to safe the belt and proceeded to name out Mairis Briedis within the post-fight interview. That struggle with Laggoune, a majority resolution, proved a hard-fought contest but it surely was the center rounds during which McCarthy stamped his authority and stored his nostril forward thereafter.

Jur, 36, is a person that appears to have been round for an age with out bridging the hole to ‘the subsequent degree’. He’s been in with Dmitry Kudryashov and Krzysztof Wlodarczyk however constantly fallen brief towards the massive names of the cruiserweight division.

At 168lbs Lerrone Richards faces former WBA ‘Common’ titlist, Giovanni de Carolis for the vacant EBU tremendous middleweight strap. Richards signed with Matchroom Boxing final yr having captured British and Commonwealth titles below the steerage of Frank Warren.

The 28-year-old has grown a gentle status domestically with wins over Tommy Langford and Lennox Clarke. Critics say he has a bit of over-easy fashion and is reluctant to step on the fuel however, actually, to date he’s not been required to go notably deep as a way to win a struggle. His final outing, an eight-rounder towards Timo Laine, can finest be described as an introductory bout for the Matchroom fanbase with little or no realized on the evening.

De Carolis is a former WBA ‘Common’ although don’t let that depend for an excessive amount of with the Italian trying downright common in latest bouts. This actually needs to be a possibility for Lerrone Richards to showcase his aptitude, talent and explosiveness: the stoppage is on however don’t be shocked if Richards performs it breezy for twelve rounds.

European tremendous bantamweight champion Gamal Yafai faces Jason Cunnigham in Yafai’s first defence of the title. Yafai, 18-1, has constructed his profile quietly since a sole profession loss towards Gavin McDonnell in March 2018. The Birmingham man had three routine victories – over Jose Aguilar, Brayan Mairena and Lee Clayton – earlier than difficult Luca Rigoldi for the EBU title final December.

Yafai produced a cultured twelve rounds to outbox his Italian opponent and take the belt away from him with relative ease. Jason Cunningham is a voluntary protection with The Iceman ranked eleventh by the European Boxing Union. The previous Commonwealth bantamweight champion has been an skilled contender throughout weight divisions: tremendous fly, bantamweight, tremendous bantamweight and featherweight,

His final notable victory was towards Josh Kennedy again in Might 2019; the 31-year-old has had two four-rounders and a single six-rounder since.

Maybe the perfect struggle on the cardboard, although, is Dalton Smith vs Lee Appleyard for the vacant English tremendous light-weight title. Smith, 7-0, has appeared peach excellent since debuting in Might 2019 with six stoppages incomes him a prodigious status. Wins over Nathan Bennett and Ishmael Ellis have demonstrated the 24-year outdated’s early ambition with Lee Appleyard the subsequent logical step.

Smith must be on prime kind if he’s going to look good towards his 33-year-old opponent. Appleyeard is as skilled as they arrive with wins over Adam Hague, Steve Brogan and a snug out-pointing of Ben Fields in November 2019. The previous English light-weight champion has demonstrated a weak spot to the physique, nonetheless, and that’s an space Smith might look to use.