Joshua Buatsi: British boxer taking Olympics by storm draws attention of Floyd Mayweather

Four years after Team GB’s boxers closed out London 2012 in triumphant fashion with five medals and three golds, the odds of a repeat or improvement on that haul in Rio are slim at best.

Despite taking a record 12 fighters to Brazil, just five remained with a shot at a place on their weight class podium at the top of the week.

However, even though Muhammad Ali’s Monday defeat ensured that the British boxers will emerge from the 2016 Games with fewer medals than the home hopes of 2012, one in particular already looks earmarked for stardom.

Joshua Buatsi is off to an excellent start in the men’s light-heavyweight category, and not only is he the first British boxer to secure a Rio medal (both losing semi-finalists receive a bronze, meaning reaching the last four as Buatsi has guarantees a podium spot) but as a result of the schedule structure is the only GB fighter to have won more than one bout.

In fact, the Ghana-born Londoner has now won three on the bounce in Brazil, having overwhelmed Abdelhafid Benchabla overnight in his quarter-final bout.

His performance - and the two before it - have impressed pretty much everyone. Boxing media veteran Steve Bunce, ringside in Rio, was full of praise for Buatsi.

“Buatsi has now won three times here, beaten two seeded men and hurting every single one of his opponents,” Bunce wrote in his Independent column.

“Buatsi stopped his first two opponents and the Algerian idol Benchabla survived, but was given two standing counts, took a fearsome beating, which is rare in the Olympic ring, and looked stunned at the final bell.”

Aside from the sports fans, journalists and fellow Olympians Joshua is winning over, there was one particularly-recognisable figure who couldn’t wait to meet him.

Floyd Mayweather, who himself participated at the Olympics 20 years ago in Atlanta, retired from professional boxing last year with a record of 49-0 as one of the greatest (and certainly the most profitable) fighter of all time. He has been ringside in Rio, having declared on social media that he is there to “scout future world champions”.

Now the full-time boss at his Mayweather Promotions label, Floyd has already guided one Englishman to a world title challenge - Ashley Theophane’s quest to dethrone Adrien Broner earlier this year was unsuccessful - and it looks like Buatsi could soon be joining Ashley under the Mayweather umbrella.

Several people at Riocentro reported and posted photos of Mayweather meeting Buatsi in the stands for a lengthy chat during downtime - which is when the Brit took the above selfie with Floyd - and Joshua later revealed some of what was said.

“He said to me he had heard about me before I got here and that I was a great fighter, a future world champion,” he told ESPN. “It was good to hear that from someone like Mayweather, who I think is the greatest boxer of our generation.”

On his incredible 2016 so far, Buatsi continued: "This month marks two years since I have been on the Great Britain team and international scene. I have been on a long winning streak and I want to keep it going.

"I want to dominate in every way I can. And 100 per cent, I want more than bronze, and I will give it everything that I’ve got to make sure I get a gold.”

Dominate is exactly what Buatsi has been doing. Even if Nicola Adams reinforces her place in Olympic history with a second gold as many expect her to, even if Joe Joyce continues comparisons to 2012-star-turned-world-champion Anthony Joshua and heavyweight legend George Foreman with a podium finish as super-heavy, it looks as though Buatsi is close to eclipsing both in Brazil.

Having stopped Elshod Rasulov to reach the quarters before surprising many with his dominant performance versus the fancied Benchabla, Buatsi is already looking tailor-made for the pro ranks once the Olympics conclude.

After the quarter-final win, Buatsi said: “I came to win gold, I knew I had to beat the top men, so that is what I’m doing.

"The spirit in the team is brilliant, I just can’t wait to get back in the there. This has been amazing.”

And if Mayweather is indeed looking to capitalise on the buzz of the Games to make high-profile yet ground-floor acquisitions and bolster his ranks, it looks like it could be a match made in heaven with the young man who could be the second British Joshua in five years to take both the Olympics and the professional scene by storm.

Buatsi fights in his semi-final contest at around 22:30pm UK time on Tuesday. Defeat results in a bronze medal, while a fourth win would lead to a spot in the light-heavy final and either gold or silver.