Joshua Buatsi doesn’t think Callum Johnson ducked him

Fast-rising prospect Joshua Buatsi was slated to challenge for the British light heavyweight title held by Callum Johnson, but Johnson, coming off of a failed but exciting world title bid last year, is going in another direction, facing Seanie Monaghan on March 9 in the United States.

Buatsi could do the normal thing and take to the media, crowing about Johnson avoiding facing him and all that, but he’s not doing that, telling Sky Sports that he doesn’t see it that way at all:

“Someone tagged me in something and said: ‘Johnson has blatantly just ducked Buatsi there.’ I’m thinking in my head ‘he hasn’t’. Why would you fight at British level, if you know that if you win your next fight you may get a world title opportunity? It’s a no-brainer. Why would you do it?”

Buatsi (9-0, 7 KO) will get his crack at the now-vacant British 175-pound title on March 23 when he faces Liam Conroy (16-3-1, 8 KO) on the Matchroom card at Copper Box Arena, a show that also features Charlie Edwards’ first flyweight title defense, Lawrence Okolie’s next fight, and Lewis Ritson defending the British lightweight title against Andy Townend.