"There were lots of opportunities, but it never materialised. We're not going to sit around on the shelf, waiting for Joshua Buatsi," Callum Johnson's trainer Joe Gallagher questions why British battle is yet to happen
Monday 17 May 2021 18:01, UK
Joshua Buatsi is not yet ready for a "huge step-up" to world-class and still needs to settle his British rivalries, says Callum Johnson's trainer Joe Gallagher.
The unbeaten 28-year-old edged closer to a shot at a WBA light-heavyweight title with a fourth-round knockout of Daniel Dos Santos in Manchester on Saturday.
But Gallagher, who guides the career of rival contender Johnson, has questioned whether Buatsi is receiving suitable preparation before challenging either Dmitry Bivol or Jean Pascal, the WBA's two title holders.
"I don't know what purpose it served the other night, apart from Joshua Buatsi experiencing having [new trainer] Virgil Hunter in the corner," Gallagher told Sky Sports.
"He's a kid [Dos Santos] that I don't think he learned from at all. If that had been Callum Johnson, the kid would have been took out within a round or two. No disrespect to the kid, but we wouldn't even entertain him as a sparring partner.
"Craig Richards has just fought Bivol and acquitted himself very well, just like Yarde did with Kovalev and Callum Johnson with Beterbiev.
"They have all took the step up, but for whatever reason, putting Joshua Buatsi and opponents like that, he can only beat what is in front of him, but it wasn't a test to prepare him for the huge step up.
"Him and Anthony Yarde is still a very good fight in London. I think Craig Richards against Joshua Buatsi is a very good fight. Craig Richards has just fought Bivol gave him a good push. Joshua Buatsi could see whereabouts he is there.
"Could he do a better job, could he beat him better than Bivol?
"They're talking about going in against a Pascal. It's a step too far and I think Joshua Buatsi himself would want to have a proper test before moving on."
Gallagher insists a fight between Buatsi and Johnson can still happen in the future, provided that a suitable reward is at stake for his fighter, who is pursuing a showdown with current WBO champion Joe Smith Jr.
"I'm sure they can if people have belts," said Gallagher, who expects Johnson to return in July.
"But they had lots of options, lots of opportunities to make that fight with Callum Johnson before he moved over to [new promoter] Frank Warren.
"Many a time, we said we'd take the fight. We said we would have fought him before Christmas. There were lots of opportunities, but it never materialised.
"We're not going to sit around on the shelf, waiting for Joshua Buatsi."
