Why Joshua Buatsi rejected a massive offer from Floyd Mayweather years before rematch with Willy Hutchinson

EXCLUSIVE: Joshua Buatsi opted against signing a major deal with Floyd Mayweather.

During his time in boxing, the British-Ghanaian has proven his skills beyond doubt, compiling an incredible resume. And on Saturday night, at the AO Arena in Manchester, UK, he’ll look to put the icing on the cake of an incredible career when he battles it out in a rematch with Willy Hutchinson for the WBC light heavyweight world championship.

Joshua Buatsi turned down Floyd Mayweather

In 2016, Joshua Buatsi impressed combat sports enthusiasts from around the globe when he won bronze at the Rio Olympic Games.

His tenacious appetite for victory and sublime boxing IQ caught the attention of Floyd Mayweather, who quickly put the wheels in motion to try and sign the skilled athlete.

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However, despite the luxurious offer on the table, Buatsi decided to go in a different direction.

In an exclusive interview with Sporf, he reminisced: “Apparently, Floyd had come down specifically to watch me in the Olympic Games, which I don’t think is all true. He gave me an offer to come to the States, but to be honest, I’m not really that much of a fan of the States. I’ve been out there, and at that time London was where I spent all of my time, so I wanted to be at home, train and focus and be around the people I grew up with, so that’s what I did.”

Joshua Buatsi opens up about his preparations for Willy Hutchinson rematch

With ten years having passed since he lit up Brazil, Buatsi is now ready to reach his destiny when he battles it out with Hutchinson for the green and gold belt.

After dropping his rival twice en route to winning on points in their first encounter, the 33-year-old is excited to repeat the feat, but he’s certainly not overlooking his opponent.

Buatsi explained: “A lot was said before the fight, during and after the fight, and they don’t link up. Things that were said before didn’t translate to the fight. I know what to expect from him. We’ve trained like it’s a new opponent. We haven’t been in camp thinking, ‘We’ve beaten him before, so it’s a walk in the park’. We’ve trained for a better version.”

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