Scotland’s Willy Hutchinson will be on a mission to realise the dream he wrote about as a 13-year-old when he fights for the vacant WBC light-heavyweight title on Saturday.
Hutchinson and British rival Joshua Buatsi meet in a rematch at Manchester’s AO Arena, just over two years after Buatsi earned a split-decision win in a thrilling first contest.
At the final news conference before the championship fight, Hutchinson, 28, explained that he jotted down his boxing goals as a teenager while working with his dad – and becoming WBC champion was at the top.
After David Benavidez gave up the WBC gold to move up to cruiserweight, a fight that was originally scheduled to be for the interim title was upgraded.
“I wrote on a pen and book that I’ll become Scottish, British, European and world amateur champion,” Hutchinson said.
“On the opposite side of this book – I’m 13 and I still have this book to this day – I wrote that I’ll become WBC champion of the world.
“I already got the silver and the international and now I’m fighting for the main belt.”
The ‘Hutch-Train’ became the first Scottish boxer to win gold at an amateur World Championships nearly 10 years ago, triumphing at youth level.
The date of that victory and the Buatsi fight night are just days apart on the calendar, which Hutchinson says is “absolutely fantastic”.
Broadcaster Adam Smith, who hosted Thursday’s news conference, challenged Hutchinson to bring along the book containing his boxing ambitions on Saturday night and the Scot said he was “sure we can sort something”.