Joshua Buatsi insists his loss to Callum Smith prepared him for deep water. His rematch with Willy Hutchinson will test whether that ring education took something out of him physically.

Buatsi showed real grit against Smith, yet his flat showing against Zach Parker raised doubts about what that night took out of him. Hutchinson now steps in with the knowledge that he can push Buatsi into an uncomfortable place.

That question surfaced during talkSPORT’s preview, where pundits questioned whether the Smith war aged the Londoner. The flat outing against Parker gave the debate real traction, even if a single night cannot settle what remains in his gas tank.

Buatsi counters that the Smith setback revealed what he could summon when the going got rough. Going twelve rounds at elite level gave him reference points he plans to use if Hutchinson turns their second meeting into another grueling scrap.

Ring logic backs him up. A tough defeat often teaches a fighter more than a string of easy stoppage wins. Buatsi discovered he can stay in the pocket when an opponent matches his physical strength.

Belief and physical durability are entirely different matters. A boxer can feel mentally bulletproof while his physical reserves are running low, so pure self-belief offers no clue about the version stepping through the ropes.

It also discounts just how punishing their initial collision was. Buatsi got his hand raised, but Hutchinson made him fight for every inch. The Smith clash was hardly the first time Buatsi absorbed heavy damage to stay on course. Surviving a war never wipes away the wear on the odometer.

Hutchinson arrives fresh off an impressive win over Ezra Taylor, an effort that drew heavy praise on talkSPORT. Replicating that success against Buatsi presents a steeper hurdle. Buatsi’s inside work and committed body assault gave Hutchinson fits the first time around, problems the Scotsman must solve.

Hutchinson might not need a massive tactical overhaul. If he took another step forward while Buatsi lost a half-step, the gap between them narrows instantly.

Buatsi laughed off suggestions that anyone forced his hand for the return bout.

“I definitely wasn’t bullied into it,” Buatsi said on talkSPORT. “What I said was that I wanted something on the line. The minute we got it, everything was accepted on our side.”

The vacant WBC light heavyweight crown gives him that target. It puts a world title on the table against an opponent he already solved once, though identical tactics never guarantee an identical finish.

The previous victory feeds Buatsi’s certainty. The lackluster Parker outing gives Hutchinson every reason to believe the timing favors him. Now, Buatsi has to prove those hard-earned lessons still have the physical engine to back them up.