Joshua Buatsi and Dan Azeez will sideline their friendship this weekend as they prepare to do battle in the city in which their boxing brotherhood blossomed.

Yet despite the obvious sporting similarities, these are two journeys of which there is no parallel.

Buatsi’s professional career is one that has been somewhat manufactured. An Olympic and European games medallist, it has been a race to step the stones and hit world level.

Yet in that seven-year voyage, Buatsi has battled several elements: injury, inactivity, promotional shifts, and now a lingering lawsuit just to name a foiling few.

He has still, amongst the clutter, shown shades of skill and heart when necessary.

Achievement wise, a sole British title sits amongst a WBA international trinket, as Buatsi swapped the domestic scene in pursuit of chasing the world title dream.

Yet when he was offered a shot at WBA world champion Dmitry Bivol - along with a seven-figure payday - Buatsi politely declined, and crossed the promotional ladder to pastures new.

Now, he finds himself staring into a familiar eye.

An eye that has come up on the other side of the boxing hierarchy. See with Dan Azeez there was no podium squads, or promotional contracts, or signing on bonuses.

However, for a fighter who was knocked out inside 60 seconds on his amateur debut, Azeez waltzed into the professional ranks with his own little collection of amateur medals.

His education came on the small hall circuit, and I myself can personally vouch for his graft.

A single digit prospect, Azeez used to leave flyers on seats at York Hall, promoting his social media pages and inviting fans to jump onboard what was then a sprouting journey.

His big break finally came in 2017, when he claimed the Southern Area title on a Dillian Whyte PPV undercard. And he hasn’t looked back since.

An English title was swiftly followed by a British, and then a Commonwealth, and then most recently a European on the road in Paris. Azeez had quickly collected quite the set.

Different journeys it sure has been, but now the pairs’ paths will cross in a competitive ring.

So, forget the years of sparring, because this time there is something more than pride at stake.

Saturday night’s winner WILL challenge for a world light-heavyweight title.

So expect both men to go to places beyond that of the normal civilian.

The necessity to dig deep will be one of many attributes needed in this fight.

What we’re going to get in the ring, well, that is anybody’s guess. I for one would like to support the Buddy McGirt thinking, and say that these two are going to give us a modern day Gatti-Ward.

I guess as the underdog, a brawl of that nature would be something welcomed by Azeez.

It should be fascinating to see how the pair enter that first exchange. Azeez loves to frame his opponent before getting up close and getting to work, almost Nigel Benn-esque.

Buatsi’s will no doubt be looking to nullify such with his jab.

In fact, it is the poignancy of that jab that could well decide how this fight goes. If the taller Buatsi cannot get it going, then expect Azeez to punch his way up through that guard to success.

And, whilst I am no one to query a fighters’ heart, I can’t help but feel that when things do get tough - because they will - that the underdog spirit of Dan Azeez might just prevail.

Oscar Bevis

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