Joshua Buatsi must find missing ingredient to live up to superstar potential

12 May 2023 , 17:15

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Joshua Buatsi outpointed Pawel Stepien in unspectacular fashion

When Joshua Buatsi turned pro I thought we were looking at the next British superstar. That’s not quite how it felt last week when the Birmingham audience made their displeasure known during his points win against Pawel Stepien.

This was supposed to be a supercharged return under a new promoter a year after he last fought. It turned out to be nothing of the sort. Buatsi has been in our gym, sparred with Chris Billam-Smith. I thought he had everything. I don’t understand what has happened.

But I do know this; unless he finds the answer he might never fulfil the potential that took him to Olympic bronze in Rio.

Buatsi has a chin like granite, a great punch, he’s languid and loose, he can stand and trade or hit and move. But the urgency is missing.

Skill, technique and ability are all well and good but to win against the best you must have that little bit more. And that little bit extra is desire. Unless you are prepared to push yourself in this game you are wasting your time.

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Against mortals Buatsi is just too good. Maybe that is the problem. He has been used to winning easily all his career. When he meets an opponent as good as him, he does not have a solution.

I’m an example of a fighter who made the most of what he had. I didn’t have Buatsi’s talent. If I’d been blessed with his gifts no-one would have beaten me.

I had to dig deep to prosper. Buatsi doesn’t seem to know how to do that. He has to ask himself if he is working hard enough. If not he might as well do something else. There are too many good fighters at light heavyweight.

Buatsi has all the talent in the world, but that won't take him all the way

It’s not easy operating at 85 per cent max heart rate. But that’s what you have to do. You empty the tank then go again.

It takes huge sacrifice in the gym and in sparring in order to peak in the ring. And that is impossible without the necessary drive and determination.

At the highest level you have to make things happen, to inject pace, to up the ante. Unless you do that you have no chance against the Dimitry Bivols, Callum Smiths and Artur Beterbievs of this parish.

This game is about putting bums on seats. No one wants to watch fighters who can’t bring it. They want to see energy, excitement, explosive action.

Only Buatsi can make the difference, but he has to want it first.

Follow Barry on Twitter at @ClonesCyclone @McGuigans_Gym

Barry McGuigan