Joshua Buatsi will fight Dan Azeez in an eliminator for the WBA light-heavyweight world title live on Sky Sports on February 3; Buatsi and Azeez were originally meant to box in October but the bout had to be postponed when Azeez suffered a back injury
Thursday 28 December 2023 12:04, UK
Joshua Buatsi and Dan Azeez formerly were friends and sparring partners. Now rivals, they will fight on February 3, live on Sky Sports.
Their friendship was strained when they agreed to fight in a high-profile eliminator for the WBA light-heavyweight world title.
However a personal feud between the pair ignited when Azeez suffered an injury ahead of the initial date for the fight and had to withdraw.
The contest has been reset for February 3, but both fighters remain angered at the fallout from the postponement.
Buatsi was only told about the cancellation days before the fight was originally supposed to take place.
"It was devastating to hear," Buatsi said on a video call with Azeez. "That close to fight, the work has been done. I think injuries are quite limited that close ... but I hear it, anything can happen.
"If he's injured, he's injured, it is what it is."
Azeez objected, vociferously, to the doubts about his injury and the aspersions cast at him.
"I didn't really like the narrative but it is what it is. What can you do?" Azeez said. "Even sometimes just the stuff Josh even says: 'You know, I don't know, I'm not sure'.
"Why am I going to make up an injury?
"It's either you don't believe it or you do," he continued. "I thought you would at least know my character a bit better than that."
Azeez pointed out that he picked up the injury in his last hard week of training but tried to work through it and was ruled medically unfit to box, with the news only being given to Buasti at such a late stage.
Buatsi however, who wanted to box Azeez earlier in 2023 anyway, feels like he's being stalled by the lengthy wait for this bout.
"This fight has been rescheduled so many times," he said. "We were meant to fight in August.
"February 3 we get to let it out. That's the beauty, we've got a date now.
"I've been working diligently, very, very hard since my last fight in May."
Azeez took exception to that. "I've been doing the same," he hit back. "From when I won the European title I've been in camp as well.
"This guy's just talking now. I was meant to defend my European title in July!" he declared.
"Look at this guy, he's acting like a diva.
"A diva and a crybaby, that's the honest truth."
Buatsi replied: "There's no diva-ish thing going on here.
"February 3 I'm going to see you."
"You get to try and do something about it February 3," Azeez warned. "Because you're piping up a lot."
