Buatsi Cups His Ears as Manchester Boos Him at the Weigh-In

Joshua Buatsi answered a hostile weigh-in crowd by cupping his ears and asking for more. His WBC light-heavyweight title rematch with Willy Hutchinson is on Saturday in Manchester, and the crowd there is clearly behind the Scot.

An ounce over the limit

The trouble came earlier on Friday, at the official weigh-in. Buatsi was an ounce (28 grams) over the light-heavyweight limit on his first try, so he had to step on the scales twice.

He got down to the championship weight of 12st 7lb (79kg) on the second try, once he had stripped off. Later that evening, when the two met face to face, Hutchinson made a derogatory reference to Buatsi being overweight.

Quiet Thursday, loud Friday

Buatsi had been shielded from jeers until then. Thursday's news conference was open only to the media and held in a laid-back setting.

The ceremonial weigh-in at Freight Island was different. Around 100 members of the public were there, and it gave Buatsi a glimpse of what his ringwalk may sound like.

Hutchinson stepped on the scales first and drew huge cheers from his boisterous following. When Buatsi followed, he cupped his ears and encouraged the jeers.

"He's talking like we haven't done it before but we have. I'm excited about the crowd - I'll see you all there," Buatsi said.

The boxers went nose to nose and the tension was plain. Hutchinson has said he believes he is the better boxer, and he told the crowd he will show them tomorrow exactly what Buatsi is made of.

A title that arrived late, a rematch two years on

Saturday's fight was first billed for the interim title. It was upgraded after David Benavidez, an American, gave up the WBC gold to move up to cruiserweight.

The venue is Manchester's AO Arena. The first fight was just over two years ago, when Buatsi, from London, won on a split decision.

Buatsi is 33 and took Olympic bronze in 2016. His professional record is 20 wins and one defeat, and this is the biggest fight of his career.

Hutchinson is 28 and was the first Scottish boxer to win gold at an amateur World Championships. He has 20 wins and two defeats.

Source: BBC Sport