Joshua Buatsi: I’m going to be hostile. I’m going to be ruthless

Joshua Buatsi has sacrificed living a normal life for fights like this. But, in his own words, he insists that will all pay off tonight against Craig Richards

This camp was horrible. It’s a relief to be back in England and we’re close to the fight. I kept on saying, there’s a price to pay for winning, winning at the O2 there’s a price to pay and I feel when I was in the States [training with Virgil Hunter] I paid the price.

What I’ve missed most is having a normal life, living normally because in the States, it’s gym, sleep, train. So it’s repetitive. I miss having life in England.

I understand that outside the ring someone will look at me and think, ‘He’s not talking rubbish on social media, I’m not that interested.’ Cool. So when I fight, I understand, I really have to fight well. Because if I was a guy that was very outspoken and said drastic things to get the clicks and the retweets and if I didn’t perform, it’s like, ‘He’s still getting attention.’ I’m not that guy to say drastic stuff, I couldn’t care less about it.

That’s how I keep it.

Boxing or no boxing, I’m still the same guy, when I have to fight. I [think] this guy’s trying to take my head off, I’m going to be a certain way – I’m going to be hostile. I’m going to be ruthless. You have to be.

I haven’t sat down and thought I should start quick or slow [in this fight]. I’ve thought about winning every round.

He knows the nice guy doesn’t show up in the ring. He knows that side is not fake.

Do I step out of line of who I am just for a few followers or to get paid and stuff like that? No, I wouldn’t do that. I just like to be myself. Because boxing is only for X amount of years in my life. Life goes on beyond that. So I don’t want to be something that I’m not so when it’s over I have to revert back to what I should be naturally or whatever and boxing’s temporary.

I can’t think this is forever, it’s not.

People get caught up in comparisons and looking at other people’s lives and saying you should be here, you should be here. I don’t get caught up in that. I’ve won every fight that I’ve entered into.

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