Willy Hutchinson avenged a previous loss to Joshua Buatsi, securing a unanimous decision victory at the AO Arena in Manchester, England, to claim the vacant WBC world light heavyweight title.
The 28-year-old Scot delivered a sharp, high-volume performance to earn scores of 117-112, 115-113, and 115-113. With the win, Hutchinson (21-2, 14 KOs) became Scotland’s first men’s world boxing champion since Josh Taylor’s junior welterweight reign ended three years ago. The title was previously vacated by David Benavidez following his move up to cruiserweight.
Hutchinson controlled the early rounds with crisp jabs and slick footwork, neutralizing the body attacks that had dropped him during their initial 2024 encounter. Buatsi (20-2, 13 KOs), 33, struggled to establish momentum early, looking flat for large stretches before rallying late in the fight with increased urgency in the 11th and 12th rounds.
"I was 13 years old when I said I would be WBC champion... and now I am world champion," Hutchinson said in his post-fight interview. "We got the job done with balls of steel."
Following the victory, English contender Anthony Yarde entered the ring to congratulate Hutchinson, signaling a potential marquee defense for the new champion.
On the undercard, English welterweight Jack Rafferty (28-0-1, 18 KOs) remained undefeated, overcoming Hovhannes Martirosyan via unanimous decision (114-113, 116-111, 116-111) to capture the IBO title.