Joshua Buatsi: ‘When it’s time to do what you have to do, the true ones show up’

Joshua Buatsi

What do you think of Jordan Joseph?

What I do know is heโ€™s got a tall frame, a tall frame with a low guard and 7-1… I canโ€™t say Iโ€™ve sat there and watched a 10 rounder or an eight rounder. Maybe two minutes of a round. I have the idea of what heโ€™s like.

Itโ€™ll be good. Iโ€™m looking forward to it. A different style of fighter. My first two opponents, theyโ€™ve been a bit weird and what not but heโ€™s going to come out and box. He might come out and he thinks, you know what Iโ€™m here to take you out. He might come out and have a tear up. So Iโ€™m prepared for anything.

Itโ€™s good to have someone that thinks, โ€˜Yeah Iโ€™m going to beat Josh. Iโ€™m here to win.โ€™ But Iโ€™ll be getting in there with the mentality that yeah, Iโ€™m going to beat him. It makes for a good fight.

Given your ex-GB teammates, like Lawrence Okolie headlining, Josh Kelly are making a lot of waves, are you feeling that itโ€™s important that you start making some noise?

I feel itโ€™s always important to make some noise and stuff like that. But what I do think is, like at the Olympics, people were being looked at well past me, but then when the fights came and it was time to do what you have to do, the true ones showed up and the true ones did what they had to do. For me, thereโ€™s no doubt that I can fight. People might be getting in fights that thereโ€™s more hype about, or more attention to or whatever, but ultimately we all want to be world champions. I believe whatever route Iโ€™m taking is going to prepare me so that when that world title shot does come, Iโ€™ll be ready. Thatโ€™s how Iโ€™m seeing it. I could sit there and be theyโ€™re getting this, theyโ€™re getting that, but as long as I know Iโ€™m improving, Iโ€™m learning what I need to be learning, Iโ€™m being watched carefully and Iโ€™m putting in the work, when the time comes I believe I will do it.

World level at light-heavyweight is brutal, you might not want to rush.

Very brutal. Thatโ€™s why I have to make sure Iโ€™m prepared so when I get there, this is it, I can do it.

Have you been watching Artur Beterbiev, Dmitry Bivol, Adonis Stevenson, Badou Jack, closely?

I wouldnโ€™t say Iโ€™ve been watching them closely because I havenโ€™t even gone past national level yet.

I have to get past national level realistically before I start looking at people like that. I have to work my way up.

A British title fight, against whoever has it, those are realistic fights before 2018 is over?

Yeah, I think the way itโ€™s going before the end of the year, theyโ€™re looking to give me a title shot. Iโ€™m just making sure Iโ€™m doing what I have to do, getting the wins, improving, learning. Like I said, when the time comes with these things, I want to make sure Iโ€™m ready.

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