WILLY HUTCHINSON has shown glimpses of technical ingenuity and star quality in previous performances, but must now prove, beyond any reasonable doubt, that he deserves to be knocking on the door for a world title shot.
Right now, it is difficult to put the Scotsman in the same conversation as the likes of Callum Smith, David Morrell and Joshua Buatsi, with all three having cemented themselves as genuine world-class contenders.
There is, of course, a sizable gap that separates Dmitry Bivol, Artur Beterbiev and even David Benavidez from the chasing pack at 175lbs.
But when it comes to identifying the best of the rest, it must be said that British operators Smith and Buatsi – based largely on their thrilling encounter in February – are firmly in the mix.
Although he, too, gave a titanic effort against Buatsi – displaying a remarkable chin, more than anything else – the manner in which Smith outpointed his domestic rival was far different to anything that Hutchinson, 18-2 (13 KOs), brought to the table in September 2024.
Since then, the 27-year-old has unfortunately remained out of the ring – through little fault of his own, it seems – as a shoulder injury earlier this year ultimately scuppered his scheduled return against Zach Parker.
During that time, Hutchinson also linked up with esteemed trainer Shane McGuigan for a short while, only to then reunite with head coach Mirko Wolf ahead of his assignment against Mark Jeffers this Saturday.
Whether that is a wise move for his career, it remains to be seen, but ‘The Hutch Train’ should nonetheless have enough steam to overcome his typically durable opponent at the Braehead Arena, Glasgow.
While Jeffers, 20-1 (7 KOs), remains a physically impressive customer, his last performance, which saw him get outpointed by Sean Hemphill, made it seem that he had abandoned much of his technical prowess and instead opted for a more attritional affair.
In that sense, it was the tactics he implemented, rather than a gruelling battle to creep beneath the 168lbs limit, that largely hampered his performance in June.
That said, a move up in weight will surely do him no harm, but for him to be even remotely competitive against Hutchinson, Jeffers will need to rediscover elements of his comprehensive display against Zak Chelli in 2023.
Back then, the Chorley man put on a dazzling boxing clinic, his feet doing most of the work, before collecting a wide unanimous decision victory.
That same version of Jeffers, combined with his ruthless work ethic and added size at 175lbs, could certainly pose a series of challenges for Hutchinson.
But even then, the crafty style of Hutchinson, making it seem that he has endless tricks up his sleeve, should still see him emerge as the superior technician.
He is, in many ways, the more natural boxer, and as soon as he finds his rhythm, moving as if he is auditioning for Dancing on Ice, then it could all of a sudden become an impossibly awkward night’s work for Jeffers.
Willy Hutchinson vs Mark Jeffers fight prediction
While Jeffers is likely to be relentless throughout their 10-round contest, the more eye-catching flurries of Hutchinson, sent from a plethora of angles, should ultimately see him secure a convincing points victory.
From there, Hutchinson may need one more notable win – perhaps against an overseas operator, rather than one of the more familiar names on the domestic scene – in order to bolster his contender status with the four sanctioning bodies.
