When the chance to spend the afternoon in the company of pound-for-pound king Andre Ward presented itself in February, it was clear boxing was still at the forefront of Joshua Buatsi's mind. Halfway through the final year of his Sport Science and Management degree, people would have forgiven the 24-year-old for leaving the sport to one side to concentrate on his education.
It was only six months earlier the Ghanaian-born British boxer won bronze in the light-heavyweight division at the 2016 Olympics and there would have been a real temptation to turn professional straight away. However, after promising his mother to return to St. Mary's University after the Rio Games, the decision was delayed.
Despite being in the home stretch of his degree, Buatsi knew he had a rare opportunity to find out more about the sport of boxing, and more pertinently, speak to an icon that had successfully made the path Buatsi wants to make from Olympic star to world champion.
In a local boxing gym in south London, the former GB boxer blended in among 100 people relatively unnoticed. While fans made the journey to Fitzroy Boxing Lodge to get a piece of the two-weight world champion, Buatsi was there to pick the mind of USA’s last Olympic male boxing gold medallist.
The 24-year-old posed for pictures with the American, but it was clear Buatsi wanted to find out everything about making the transition from Olympian to professional boxer, and Ward, who has won all 32 of his bouts since winning the same light-heavyweight division at the 2004 Olympics, was more than impressed.
After finding out the identity of the man behind all the questions, Ward declared Buatsi the next generation of boxing. Now, after nine months of inactivity, he will finally make his highly-anticipated professional debut when he takes on Cuban boxer Carlos Mena, who has a 4-6 record, at the 02 on Saturday.
Buatsi's decision to join the paid ranks was announced alongside Eddie Hearn, managing director of Matchroom Boxing. The Croydon-resident turned down interest from Frank Warren's Queensbury Promotions to team up with Hearn and it's easy to see why.
Anthony Joshua has gone on to achieve global superstardom since winning gold at the 2012 Olympics and now Hearn believes his latest prospect can go on and do the same.
“(Joshua) has set out the blueprint with us of how to make the transition from successful amateur to unified world champion,” Hearn told The Daily Mail in the build up to Buatsi’s debut. “The blueprint is there and Buatsi can walk right through that blueprint and become a world champion in 14, 15, 16 fights just like AJ did. He’s got the same kind of pedigree.”
Part of the deal with Matchroom Boxing also saw Buatsi become the first boxer to sign up to Joshua's management group, AJ Boxing. With the current heavyweight world champion mentoring Buatsi through his career, there is no better place for him if he wants to emulate his stablemate.
It's easy to see the similarities between the two, not necessarily in the ring, but in the manner both fighters approach the sport. Like Joshua, Buatsi is looking to take his career one fight at a time and is refusing to get caught up in the hype. The plan is to fight eight times in the next 12 months and, with the guidance of Hearn and Joshua, that's all he is focusing on.
The agreement may only have been announced at the start of June, but Hearn has been a fan of Buatsi since a series of dazzling displays at the Rio Games. His performances were enough to get Hearn's father, Barry, raving about the youngster and they've been chasing Buatsi ever since.
"I remember sitting in my old man's lounge, and he said to me 'son, you've got to get this kid,' " Hearn told IFL TV. "The balance is unbelievable, unbelievable punch power, such a great mindset."
The Hearn's weren't the only ones impressed. Floyd Mayweather Jnr, who was in Brazil scouting talent, hailed the novice as a future world champion. There has been a lot of talk about Buatsi and now he will finally be able to let his hands do the talking.
After meeting Ward at the start of the year, Buatsi joked the next time they share the ring would be as opponents. While Ward may have retired by the time Buatsi can contemplate competing at that level, there is a real belief that British boxing have a new world champion in the making. To borrow Hearn’s words: "The journey begins on Saturday at the 02."
