Hutchinson aims to fulfill self‑penned prophecy

Willy Hutchinson, 28, will meet British opponent Joshua Buatsi for the vacant WBC light‑heavyweight crown at Manchester's AO Arena on Saturday. The bout is a rematch, the two having first met just over two years ago when Buatsi secured a split‑decision victory in a thrilling encounter. The contest was originally slated for the interim title, but after David Benavidez relinquished the WBC belt to move up to cruiserweight, it was upgraded to the full championship.

At Thursday's final press conference, Hutchinson revealed that as a 13‑year‑old he had written down his boxing ambitions while training with his father, placing a world title at the top of his list. He said: "I wrote on a pen and book that I'll become Scottish, British, European and world amateur champion," and added: "On the opposite side of this book - I'm 13 and I still have this book to this day - I wrote that I'll become WBC champion of the world. I already got the silver and the international and now I'm fighting for the main belt." Hutchinson, who became the first Scottish boxer to claim gold at an amateur World Championships almost a decade ago, noted that the anniversary of that triumph falls just a few days before the upcoming fight, calling the timing "absolutely fantastic".

Broadcaster Adam Smith, who hosted the conference, asked Hutchinson to bring the notebook containing his goals to Saturday, to which the Scot replied he was confident they could sort something out.