Joshua Buatsi delighted to be back in the saddle as he targets Anthony Yarde and Callum Johnson
JOSHUA BUATSI will race through the gears on his boxing comeback after 13 months out, with two fellow Brits in his crosshairs.
The 27-year-old light-heavyweight gets back in the saddle on October 4 in a tune-up bout against Marko Calic.
But the two English rivals the cycling nut wants to overtake are Matchroom stablemate Callum Johnson and long-time rival Anthony Yarde.
The competition with 29-year-old Yarde — who boxes on a rival TV network under promoter Frank Warren — is on the backburner until one of the Londoners lands a world title.
But 35-year-old Johnson, who challenged bravely for a world title at the end of 2018, is one Buatsi wheelie fancies.
The Anthony Joshua-managed ace said: “The Callum Johnson fight would be easier to make as we are in the same weight class, promotional team and country.
“Just by being in this sport I think we all make it clear that we want the best fights but there is always more to it sadly.
“I watched the first couple of rounds of Anthony Yarde’s recent fight and then just got on with my evening but it was good he got back to winning ways.
“It’s hard to say if we will fight, we both want to, but the politics can make it difficult.
“I know it is the main fight that people want to see so, if the two promoters can come together and get to an agreement, I am sure us two fighters will take it on.”
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When gyms were closed for the Covid-19 lockdown, Buatsi hit the steepest hills in London and Kent to race Team GB heavyweight star Cheavon Clarke on two wheels.
Typically he gave his new hobby 100 per cent and had to be reminded to swap the helmet for a sparring headguard once he could get back to the day job.
Buatsi added: “Boxing is my bread and butter. I am not a professional cyclist and a couple of people reminded me of that so as soon as the gyms reopened I got back to the grind.
“I had fun beating Cheavon in every race but I was happy to get my career back on track.”