Virgil Hunter climbed the heights of boxing with Andre Ward, and he’s hoping he can do the same with Joshua Buatsi. The Californian trainer was a vital part of Ward’s rise to the top of boxing’s pound-for-pound list. With another light-heavyweight Olympian occupying his thriving San Francisco gym, Hunter is hoping to take Buatsi all the way to the top.
First up for the new combination is a showdown this Saturday with unbeaten Frenchman Daniel Blenda Dos Santos, a fight that can be seen live on DAZN in multiple regions, and Hunter is delighted to be back in England following a spell here as Amir Khan’s cornerman.
“I’m back here in the UK, a place I like to think of as home,” said Hunter in the final press conference before Buatsi and Dos Santos go to work. “I've been exposed to some of the UK's greatest fighters that I’ve had a chance to meet as well as work with.
“Joshua Buatsi is no exception to that. I think he’s a major talent. I think he has a tremendous upside. I’m hoping I can do everything to cultivate that and turn him into a world champion. I think Joshua will apply some of the things we worked on and show Saturday night that he’s been a good student.”
Buatsi enters the fight in excellent form and with a reputation as one of British boxing’s next big stars. Before taking on the leading names at 175lbs, Buatsi must focus his efforts on his next assignment and Hunter is expecting a stern examination from Dos Santos.
“Anytime that you have the opportunity to fight a medallist from the Olympics, that medal has a bullseye on his back,” Hunter said. “He’s going to get a hungry opponent. That opponent is going to be dead serious because he knows it can change the trajectory of his career.
“We don’t have much footage on Dos Santos, but we take him seriously on what we have seen, that he is a good fighter and to be taken seriously. That’s how we’re approaching the fight.”