While refusing to overlook Lyndon Arthur, Lewis Edmondson is nonetheless eager to collide with Joshua Buatsi later this year, believing he can cause the Londoner “big trouble”.
First on the agenda, though, is his light-heavyweight clash with Arthur, which takes place at St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton, on June 20.
Edmondson was supposed to face domestic rival Ezra Taylor in October, only for a hip injury to keep him out of the ring since last July, back when he lost a majority decision to Daniel Lapin.
Having now recovered from his setback, the 30-year-old admits he was initially gutted not to face Taylor, but tells Boxing News that the rest and recuperation has done him a world of good.
“Yeah, it was gutting. I did the camp, lost a lot of money through flying sparring partners over, and there was a lot of heat on that fight as well. But it’s boxing – these things happen.
“I don’t think there’s a fighter out there that’s not had injuries. But now, I’ve had a long time to fully recover and am back sparring, performing really well in the gym.”
As mentioned, Edmondson will lock horns with Arthur, a former European champion, on the undercard of Ryan Garner vs Michael Magnesi.
With a home advantage and no small amount of tricks up his sleeve, ‘The Saint’ firmly believes he has the beating of Arthur, who comes off a majority decision victory over Brad Rea in November.
“This is the fight we wanted, this is the fight that we pushed for, and this is the fight that’s happening.
“I believe I’ve got the best team behind me and that we can beat anyone who’s put in front of us. We know this [fight] will skyrocket us towards the world scene.
“He’s a good fighter who’s been in with [Dmitry] Bivol and [Anthony] Yarde, but I wonder how much he’ll be up for this.
“There’s a way to beat any fighter, and we believe we’ve put together the right gameplan [to beat Arthur].”
Should he defeat Arthur, which is no foregone conclusion, then Edmondson will be angling for a showdown with Queensberry Promotions stablemate Buatsi.
Despite coming off a debatable points victory over Zach Parker in November, Buatsi is still regarded by many as a top 10 light-heavyweight, especially given his gallant effort against Callum Smith in February 2025.
According to Edmondson, however, the 33-year-old has now reached a stage where he is there for the taking.
“If we come through [Arthur], we want Joshua Buatsi. I know I’ll cause him big, big trouble. He’s a well-respected fighter, a big name, but I know I’ve got the style to beat him.
“Zach Parker should have got the decision. I think that Callum Smith fight took a lot out of him, and I think Zach Parker was the wrong style for him.”
Having identified several chinks in Buatsi’s armour, perhaps Edmondson will eventually be given the opportunity to expose them.
