Willy Hutchinson understands an ancient boxing truth – that’s why he beat Joshua Buatsi

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On Saturday night in Manchester, Willy Hutchinson became only the third British fighter in nearly 70 years to win the WBC light-heavyweight title.

Hutchinson twisted, turned, held, and knew enough about survival to last the final three desperate rounds, and to hear the last bell against Joshua Buatsi. It had not been a classic, but it was effective, and that is all that matters.

The pair had clashed in late 2024 and Buatsi had left the ring with a split-decision win; Hutchinson had demanded a rematch, convinced he had done enough on the night.

His patience and insistence paid off, and on Saturday, he got both revenge and the opportunity to win one of boxing’s golden belts.

Buatsi finished Saturday’s fight in control, perhaps winning the last three rounds, but they might have been his only clear rounds. The simple and harsh truth is that Buatsi started the fight too late, surrendering the first half of the contest to Hutchinson far too easily.

At this level, a boxer must only just win a round. Hutchinson understood that ancient truth from the opening bell.

There was no urgency in Buatsi’s boxing and no passion in his corner’s insistence that he did more work, not until Buatsi’s late decision to unload combinations to the body of a tiring Hutchinson. In contrast, the Scot was just too busy and too slick in the first six or so rounds.

However, Hutchinson was winning but not dominating or hurting Buatsi; it was like a clash from the Seventies: two old pros, both knowing that it was going to be a long, long night under the ring lights.

The last three rounds gave the impression that Buatsi deserved more from the judges, but the scores of 117-112 (which was a little wide) and two of 115-113 in Hutchinson’s favour were right.

Hutchinson had the better plan at the AO Arena and he stuck to it. Winning a world title in an ugly fight is not illegal; it is smart.

Hutchinson follows John Conteh and Dennis Andries as champions and has succeeded where British challengers Anthony Yarde, Callum Smith, Tony Bellew, Clinton Woods, Tony Sibson and Chris Finnegan failed. He is indeed walking with modern boxing giants.

Yarde, who was ringside in Manchester, is a potential future defence and Smith, who in December travels to Moscow to fight unified champion Dmitry Bivol, is also a contender for a future fight.

The idiosyncratic way that boxing operates means Hutchinson is the new WBC champion but has not proved he is the best in Britain. Yarde and Smith and Ben Whittaker would all make a claim to that elusive title.

“I have made so many sacrifices to get here,” said Hutchinson after the fight. “It has been a lifetime of dreaming about this, the WBC belt. I drew this belt in a schoolbook when I was 13. I knew I would win it one day, I just knew.”

Hutchinson is an old 28 in boxing years, a seasoned fighter at both professional and amateur level, and now that he is champion, he will improve.

There may be a target on Hutchinson’s back, but any sense that he is a weak link is surely misguided. The win on Saturday was clever, and that is too often missing in modern fights.