Joshua Buatsi didn’t really impress when defeating Pawel Stepien, but he immediately set his sights on the biggest names at 175lbs.
The Croydon man, a former Olympian, performed in third gear for long periods as he maintained his unbeaten record with a straightforward points win over the widely respected Pole.
Aiming to stand out and grab the attention of those above him at light-heavyweight, Buatsi made a solid start as he dominated the early rounds.
It appeared that his initial approach would see him attack more frequently in the fight’s second half but Buatsi remained at one pace throughout but that’s all he needed to get past the timid Stepien.
At the end of ten similar rounds, Buatsi was easily declared the victor on the judges’ scorecards, but the performance will not have registered with the leading fighters at light-heavyweight.
Buatsi has spoken in the past of facing Dmitry Bivol but on this showing, he appears to some distance away from the WBA champion.
“It was nice to get the rounds in,” said Buatsi when speaking with the Sky panel in the fight’s immediate aftermath. “I want a big fight next.”
All highlights from tonight's show can be found below.