By Jack Tiernan: Promoter Frank Warren is giving his fighter Anthony Yarde a “great chance” of defeating IBF, WBC & WBO light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev at the end of the month on January 28th at the OVO Arena Wembley, London, England.
Yarde (23-2, 22 KOs) is the underdog for a reason. He’s failed in the past; his skills are still rudimentary, punch resistance is poor, and his stamina is not nearly what it needs to be for him to defeat an elite 175-lb champion like Beterbiev (18-0, 18 KOs).
What Yarde has going for him is Beterbiev is turning 38 years old on January 21, he’s slowing down and will be fighting in foreign territory in London.
If Beterbiev’s vaunted power fails him, he could be in for a long night, and there’s no telling how the judges will score the fight, given that he’s fighting in Yarde’s backyard.
But what we’ve seen of Yarde against his only decent opponent, Lyndon Arthur, since losing to WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev in August 2019, Beterbiev has nothing to worry about.
This should be an easy cakewalk for him, one of his easier fights, and perhaps a more simple KO than his last fight against WBO champion Joe Smith Jr, who he stopped in the second round last June in New York.
“The bookies have made him [Anthony Yarde] an underdog. I really think he’s got a great chance,” said Frank Warren to talkSPORT Boxing about his belief that Anthony Yarde has a great shot at upsetting IBF, WBC & WBO light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev on January 28th.
“He was an underdog when he went to Russia when he fought [former WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey] Kovalev, and he should have won that fight. He was ahead on all of the judges’ cards. I think his experience was against him. He only had 11 or 12 fights as an amateur, and maybe it came a bit too soon for him.
“Now, he’s got the experience, and this is the second time against a very good fighter that holds three belts. I think the home advantage and his confidence levels are through the roof at the moment, and I think he can upset the odds.
“Now, I think it’s his time. I think we’re going to see him at his best. He’s still a young man. He’s a very, very big puncher, a very good finisher, and people underestimate him as a boxer. But he’s in with a quality fighter who holds three world title belts. I think it’s got the ingredients of being a classic fight.
“I do think he’ll upset the odds. He’s such an athlete. As a youngster, he played rugby. He’s just a natural-born athlete, and he’s so strong and powerful. As I say, he’s a lovely guy,” said Warren about Yarde.