Anthony Yarde loses his grandmother to COVID-19

By Boxing News - 04/04/2020 - Comments

By Jim Maltzman: Light heavyweight contender Anthony Yarde revealed on Friday that his grandmother has passed away due to the COVID-19. She died on Thursday.

For Yarde, this is the second family member that he’s lost in the past week to the dreaded virus. Yarde’s father lost his life last Sunday from coronavirus as well.

The message that former light heavyweight world title challenger Yarde has for the public is they need to take the COVID-19.

“We have now lost my nana to this virus,” Yarde said on social media. “My dad and his mother have passed days apart. It’s serious! People are still going out when they don’t need to.

“I know there’s a lot of opinions about covid19, and I have mine, but I just know opinions ain’t worth risking your life and others. Just stay home. RIP Dad 27-3-20. RIP Nana 4-2-20. My heart really goes out to all the people suffering in different ways.”

The coronavirus has ripped apart peoples’ lives in a short period since it emerged last December. As of Friday, 59,197 people have died from the virus, with 1,117,787 cases. With with the projected timeline for a vaccine from 12 to 18 months, the world could have many months ahead before this virus is stopped.

Yarde (19-1, 18 KOs) lost to former WBO 175-pound belt holder Sergey Kovalev by an 11th round knockout in a highly entertaining fight last August in Chelyabinsk, Russia.

Kovalev was on the brink of being stopped in the 8th round after Yarde clipped him with a hard shot. In his excitement of the moment, Yarde emptied his gas tank trying to finish Kovalev. Had Yarde place his punches better and not rushed, he very well would have knocked out Kovalev.

It was regrettable that Yarde failed to finish the job he’d started. A victory for Yarde could have resulted in a clash against Canelo Alvarez. The Mexican star challenged Kovalev three months after his fight with Yarde and stopped him in the 10th round last November. Yarde fought Better than Canelo through most of his battle with Kovalev.

Where he failed was not pacing himself better so that he could continue fighting hard beyond the 8th round. Yarde lacked the experience of having fought beyond the 8th. Before facing Kovalev, the most protracted fights that Yarde had were a pair of contests that lasted seven rounds. The vast majority of Yarde’s victories have come by quick stoppages in the first four rounds.

In Yarde’s last fight, he defeated Diego Jair Ramirez by a 2nd round knockout last February. Yarde is scheduled to face Lyndon Arthur next on July 11 at the O2 Arena in London.