The 175-pound match will be shown on BT Sport in the UK and LIVE on the GAME+ in the US
London calls for the light-heavy king. WBC, WBO and IBF World Champion Artur Betterbiev will defend his belt against the great British challenger Anthony Yarde at OVO Arena Wembley on Saturday, January 28.
The WBO No. 1 contender knocks out Beterbiev in Montreal (18-0, 18 KOs), the only world boxing champion with a 100% knockout. He will be competing professionally for the first time in the UK, with the highly regarded former amateur athlete having competed at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
Promoted by Frank Warren and Queensberry, in conjunction with Top Rated, this massive 175-pound bout will be shown exclusively on BT Sport in the UK and streamed online. live and exclusive on ESPN+ in the US
Ticket The Beterbiev vs Yarde match at The O2 on Saturday, January 28, 2023 will go on sale at 11am on Thursday, November 24 from AXS.com and ticketmaster.co.uk.
Queensberry’s Frank Warren said: “This will undoubtedly be the biggest challenge of Anthony’s career to date and we have ensured that he receives the best possible conditions by guaranteeing him It’s home field advantage. “This will be a big event at OVO Arena Wembley, the same venue where Anthony made his professional debut in May 2015.
“Of course, we know a great champion like Beterbiev is not afraid to move and almost all of his biggest wins have come outside of his current home country of Canada. Boxing is all about timing, and we hope it’s time for Anthony to unleash his huge potential and land one of the biggest wins by a British boxer.
“It will be a spectacular show staged with our friends at Top Rank, and I am sure it will be an event that the public will support in large numbers to support the effort. achieve Anthony’s dream.”
Top Rank President Bob Arum said: “This is a match between two of the most devastating light heavyweights and I can’t wait for the great Artur Beterbiev to showcase his extraordinary talent against the other heavyweights. incredible fans of the UK. “Anthony Yarde was in Artur’s last game, and he certainly didn’t lack confidence. He’s a dangerous fighter, and I know Artur will be on the field in one of the toughest fights of his illustrious career.”
Beterbiev won his first world championship in November 2017 defeating Enrico Koelling in the 12th round and defending his IBF belt on two more occasions – including against England’s Callum Johnson – before stepping into into a unified match against WBC champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk in October 2019. The then undefeated Gvozdyk was stopped in the 10th round. Beterbiev defended his title against Adam Deines and Marcus Browne first. three-belt unification match against WBO champion Joe Smith Jr. in June at the Hulu Madison Square Garden Theater, where the American was stopped after two innings. In the amateur category, Beterbiev won silver at the 2007 World Championships before winning gold at the 2009 event. He also won gold at the 2006 and 2010 European Championships.
“I never back down from a challenge and Anthony Yarde was the leading candidate who asked for this fight. I look forward to fighting in London for the first time since the Olympics,” said Beterbiev. “Yarde called me ‘slow’ after my fight with Joe Smith Jr., but slow and steady wins the race. And on January 28, I will win in London.”
The Wembley event represented Yarde’s second attempt at world championships (23-2, 22 KOs), who had previously traveled to Chelyabinsk, Russia, to face longtime champion Sergey Kovalev, ultimately being defeated. stopped in round 11 after almost being forced to finish on his own in round 1/8. Yarde’s first title came in match 11 when he knocked out Chris Hobbs in four rounds for the South Zone title.
Yarde then hit seven straight fights with the European or Intercontinental WBO belt at stake, or both, as Yarde took out each of those foes in seven innings or less. After Kovalev, Yarde continued to fight the pandemic against Dec Spelman and the domestic battle against Lyndon Arthur. Yarde made a split decision against his rival Manchester, and after a quick comeback fight in Birmingham, Yarde sought redemption against Arthur. Classic Yarde returns, and he knocks Arthur out in four innings to once again claim WBO’s No.
“January 28 will be my night,” Yarde said. “My destiny plays out in my home city, and this is what I have been looking forward to throughout my professional career, starting at Wembley. I’m not going to make any big predictions for this fight with strong unified champion Artur Beterbiev, but what I will say is I’m not going to let anything stand a chance, and I’m in the best state when fighting fire.”
