By Robert Segal: Anthony Yarde will challenge IBF, WBC & WBO light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev for his three titles next year on January 28th, says promoter Frank Warren.
Before that, Yarde (22-2, 21 KOs) will take a tune-up against a still-to-be-determined opponent on November 19th at the Telford International Centre, Telford.
It probably doesn’t matter a whole lot that the 31-year-old Yarde is taking a warm-up fight first to prepare himself for the unbeaten Beterbiev (18-0, 18 KOs) because he’s just so badly overmatched that it’s not worth his time trying to get ready to face the powerful two-time Olympian.
Yarde was primed to challenge former WBO 175-lb champion Joe Smith Jr, but his recent second round knockout loss to Beterbiev last June took him out of the equation.
Even against Smith, Yarde would have been up against it and likely would have been soundly beaten. But going against Beterbiev, Yarde is way out of his league for this fight.
Yarde is more of a domestic-level fighter than a top-tier guy, and he will need a miracle to come out on top against the undefeated Beterbiev.
“He’s going to fight on the same card as Zach [Parker], and then he’ll have the fight for the three titles, and that’ll be on the 28th of January next year,” said Frank Warren to iFL TV about when WBO mandatory challenger Anthony Yarde will face IBF, WBC & WBO light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev.
“He’s [Yarde] not had a fight in 12 months now, so he needs to get some ring rust out of his system. That’ll be in London,” said Warren.
Without an injury of, Beterbiev, Yarde is doomed in this fight. He hasn’t shown the kind of talent during his career that would suggest that he can hang around for long against Beterbiev and forget about him winning. That’s just not possible.
Yarde would be better off fighting for one of the lower-level trinket titles rather than taking on a champion like Beterbiev. Dmitry Bivol and Beterbievare way out of Yarde’s league.
You can’t blame Warren for wanting to set this fight up to give his fighter Yarde the title shot and the payday, but he’s not equipped talent-wise to beat a fighter like Beterbiev.
It doesn’t make a difference if Yarde is given more time to prepare for this fight. Beterbiev is going to blow him through him like he’s not there.
