Callum Johnson’s trainer, Joe Gallagher, dismissed Joshua Buatsi’s chances of being ready for a world title fight.
Buatsi’s promoter Eddie Hearn told the DAZN Boxing Show that he believed that the Briton would be ready to fight Dmitry Bivol by the end of the year and would become world champion.
28-year-old contender Buatsi defeated Daniel Dos Santos on Saturday in a brutal fourth-round knockout, but Gallagher was not impressed.
"I don't know what purpose it served the other night, apart from Joshua Buatsi experiencing having Virgil Hunter in the corner," Gallagher said Sky Sports .
"He's a kid that I don't think he learned from at all. If that had been Callum Johnson, the kid would have been took out within a round or two. No disrespect to the kid, but we wouldn't even entertain him as a sparring partner.
"Craig Richards has just fought Bivol and acquitted himself very well, just like Yarde did with Kovalev and Callum Johnson with Beterbiev.
"They have all took the step up, but for whatever reason, putting Joshua Buatsi and opponents like that, he can only beat what is in front of him, but it wasn't a test to prepare him for the huge step up.
"Him and Anthony Yarde is still a very good fight in London. I think Craig Richards against Joshua Buatsi is a very good fight. Craig Richards has just fought Bivol gave him a good push. Joshua Buatsi could see whereabouts he is there.
"Could he do a better job, could he beat him better than Bivol?
"They're talking about going in against a [Jean] Pascal. It's a step too far and I think Joshua Buatsi himself would want to have a proper test before moving on."
Gallagher would be happy to match his fighter with Buatsi down the line.
"I'm sure they can if people have belts.
"But they had lots of options, lots of opportunities to make that fight with Callum Johnson before he moved over to Frank Warren.
"Many a time, we said we'd take the fight. We said we would have fought him before Christmas. There were lots of opportunities, but it never materialised.
"We're not going to sit around on the shelf, waiting for Joshua Buatsi."