By Tim Royner: Former light heavyweight world title challenger Anthony Yarde is reporting that his father has passed away from the coronavirus. Speaking on his Instagram, Yarde (19-1, 18 KOs) revealed the news of his father’s passing from the COVID 19 virus.
Yarde, 28, said he wants people to stay at home to keep from coming in contact with the virus and spreading it.
Yarde in shock
“My dad passed away from this virus yesterday and he was fit with no health issues.
“I’m still in shock, but maybe this can help people stay at home,” said Yarde on Instagram in revealing the news about his dad’s death from coronavirus. “The more people go out and mingle, the longer this isolation will last and the more it will spread.
“I’m not a doctor but I do know if you stay home you are less likely to catch it or pass it on. It’s seriously not worth the risk,” said Yarde.
Like many people that have seen the coronavirus impact their lives, Yarde is in shock as you would expect. The coronavirus has reportedly killed over 30,000 people since it first surfaced in December, and continues to spread despite the warnings from different governments for citizens to stay at home and self-isolate. Some believe the cases of coronavirus will peak soon, but there’s no way of knowing if that’ll happen.
“Frank Warren and everyone at Queensberry Promotions would like to express sincere condolences to Anthony Yarde and his family after the untimely passing of his father,” said Yarde’s promoter Frank Warren.
Anthony Yarde to fight on July 11
Yarde is currently scheduled to fight Lyndon Arthur on July 11 on the undercard of the Daniel Dubois vs. Joe Joyce card at the O2 Arena in London, England. The card is still on, for now, but it could be postponed if things don’t improve with the control of the coronavirus. The British Boxing Board of Control will need to give the green light for large groups of fans to attend boxing events.
If not, then it’s likely the July 11 card will be postponed. One option would be to take the fight card behind closed doors, but that’s not being entertained yet by the promoters of the July 11 event.
Yarde lost to former WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev by an 11th round knockout last August in Russia. It was a good effort by Yarde, who had Kovalev reeling in the 8th after hurting him to the body and head with powerful shots. Regrettably, Yarde faded after the 8th, and Kovalev came back to stop him in the 11th with a jab.
In Yarde’s last fight, he defeated journeyman Diego Jair Ramirez (4-49-3, 3 KOs) by a 2nd round knockout on February 8. That record of Ramirez is not a mistake. He really does have 49 losses, and it’s embarrassing that Yarde chose to fight a guy at that level.
