Hutchinson’s mission to fulfil childhood prophecy

Willy Hutchinson is aiming to fulfil a boxing ambition he wrote down at 13 when he fights Joshua Buatsi for the vacant WBC light-heavyweight title on Saturday. Their rematch in Manchester follows Buatsi’s split-decision victory in a close first fight, and the title bout gives Hutchinson the chance to claim the main belt he once set out to win.

Hutchinson, now 28, says his notebook listed goals including Scottish, British, European and world amateur titles, as well as becoming WBC world champion. He has since won the WBC silver and international titles; the fight was upgraded from an interim-title bout after David Benavidez vacated the belt. Buatsi, 33, is 20-1 as a professional and won Olympic bronze in 2016; he says boxing stardom was not a childhood dream, but has become a goal.