Boxing expert Chris Oliver previews Saturday night's action featuring Willy Hutchinson and Chris Billam-Smith.
Boxing betting tips: Saturday November 7
2pts Willy Hutchinson to win by decision at 2/1 (BetVictor)
1pt Chris Billam-Smith to win by decision at 9/5 (Sky Bet, Paddy Power, Betfair)
Boxing fans have a tricky choice to make with two good UK shows on the box on Saturday night.
DAZN subscribers are treated to a stacked card at the AO Arena in Manchester where a fascinating rematch between Joshua Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson tops the bill.
The pair put on a cracking contest when they clashed on the undercard of Anthony Joshua versus Daniel Dubois at Wembley just over two years ago, with Buatsi winning a split decision.
After such a good contest, a rematch was always going to be of interest, but that interest has become even greater since the vacant WBC light heavyweight title was put on the line for this one.
Buatsi (20-1, 13 KOs) was a very warm favourite when they first clashed but things are different second time around and the layers can barely split them, with Buatsi available at 6/5 and Hutchinson a slight favourite at 9/10.
Hutchinson (20-2, 14 KOs) started well in the first encounter, as his free-flowing style worked well against his more technically sound opponent and he was putting his shots together very well in the opening half.
However, everything changed in the sixth session when Hutchinson was dropped heavily, and he did well to see out the round. That is when Buatsi took over and he dropped his man again in the ninth round, while Hutchinson also had a point deducted to make matters worse.
Hutchinson finished strongly with a good last two rounds, but the damage was done and Buatsi claimed a deserved victory with a clear nod from two of the judges, although one judge gave it to Hutchinson by a point.
So, if Buatsi won last time then why isn’t he favourite in the return? Well, the fortunes of both men in their respective two fights since have been very different and Hutchinson appears to be the one with the momentum now.
The Scotsman was lacking in experience ahead of their first bout and will have gained plenty from going a hard 12 rounds that night. He has shown the benefit of that fight with two good performances since, first stopping Mark Jeffers in seven rounds and then giving the unbeaten Ezra Taylor a boxing lesson to claim a wide decision when last seen in March.
While there was no shame in losing a decision to Callum Smith in one of the best fights of 2025, that war appeared to have taken something out of Buatsi when he was very lucky to get a majority decision against Zach Parker last November.
Buatsi really struggled that night and if Parker had deservedly got the decision, the former would have been a bigger price for this rematch with Hutchinson.
In that Parker fight, Buatsi was just walking forwards without much of a plan, and he was getting picked off coming in by his opponent. If he fights the same way here, the talented Hutchinson should outbox his man to gain revenge.
The frustrating career of Buatsi, who turned professional to great fanfare after winning a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games, has blown hot and cold over nearly 10 years in the paid ranks and he is in danger of not fulfilling his huge potential if he doesn’t win this one.
He won’t get another title shot if he doesn’t prevail here and this is a must-win fight. On the plus side for him, Buatsi knows he can hurt Hutchinson and, having dropped him twice with body shots, he will no doubt look to go downstairs again.
He is certainly capable and wouldn’t be a surprise winner at all if he pulls this one off, but the intensity just wasn’t there against Parker and he has been out of the ring for a year since, so I have to wonder if the 33-year-old is past his best now.
Conversely, Hutchinson still appears to be improving at 28, and he clearly learnt a lot from his tussle with Buatsi in 2024. He has boxed really well in his two outings since and while this is a step back up in class, he looks much better equipped to challenge Buatsi now.
Hutchinson showed stamina concerns in the first fight but so did Buatsi, as they were both shattered in the second half, and Hutchinson will have gained great confidence from knowing he arguably won both of the last two rounds.
While Buatsi is the puncher in the fight and is capable of doing damage if this turns into a war again, Hutchinson is the boxer here and needs to keep this at range where he can utilise his lovely jab.
Hutchinson is also very accurate and picks his shots well on the outside, so he doesn’t want to be getting drawn into a fight at close quarters again.
He has the footwork to box his way to a decision at 2/1, and I fancy him to do so, with Buatsi looking damaged goods now and he is seemingly there for the taking.
Billam-Smith to light up Copper Box
There is also a show on Sky Sports as Zuffa Boxing return to the UK with a good card at London’s Copper Box Arena, featuring Chris Billam-Smith against Cheavon Clarke as the main attraction.
This is a rematch of their 2016 amateur bout in the national finals, when Clarke came out on top and he went on to represent Great Britain at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
However, their respective professional careers have been very different, with Billam-Smith arguably overachieving in becoming a world champion and Clarke, who has lost two of his 14 bouts, underachieving so far.
That’s why Clarke is 10/3 here and Billam-Smith, who is looking to get back into title contention, is a best price of 2/7 to gain revenge on his former amateur foe.
Billam-Smith deserves to be a strong favourite based on his excellent career to date, but he has only boxed twice since losing his world title in a unification bout with Gilberto Ramirez two years ago and, after a long, hard career, ‘CBS’ could be on the slide at 36.
His seven-round war with Ryan Rozicki was a belter in June but it won’t have done Billam-Smith’s longevity any good and he shipped plenty of punishment before his opponent was retired that night.
The decline of the favourite is why this could be a closer fight than the odds suggest, plus Clarke arrives on the back of his best win as a professional.
After losing back-to-back decisions to Leonardo Mosquea and Viddal Riley, Clarke has bounced back with two stoppage victories and produced a stunning come-from-behind win against Jack Massey last time out.
This is tougher again for Clarke, but he has nice speed and a good engine, while he is also physically very strong.
However, so, too, is Billam-Smith and he has developed a good ring IQ over his years of improvement under the guidance of top coach Shane McGuigan. That could be the difference here and even though he may be past his best, the favourite should still have enough left to successfully overcome Clarke.
A stoppage win for Billam-Smith is the favourite method of victory at 5/4, but this is only a 10-rounder and both of Clarke’s defeats have come by decision in 12-round affairs. Therefore, I believe Billam-Smith may need the judges here and I prefer the 9/5 about him winning on the scorecards.
Posted at 12:10 GMT on 06/11/26
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