Via Matt Lieberman: Bob Arum is predicting next month’s fight between challenger Anthony Yarde and IBF, WBC & WBO lightweight champion Artur Beterbiev will stop on January 28 on ESPN+ at Wembley Arena in London, England.
Beterbiev (18-0, 18 KOs) is considered by many to be the clear favorite against the strong but irreparable WBO Mandatory Yarde (23-2, 22 KOs) for their main game. .
Although Yarde has improved since he last challenged for the world title against former 175 lb WBO champion Sergey Kovalev in 2019, he still looks quite like the boxer who was knocked down by the Russian boxer. three years ago.
Judge will not be needed
“Certainly, especially for the UK,” said Top Rated promoter Bob Arum. boxing society about bringing different fighters like Artur Betterbiev to the UK to fight. “The UK is taking over the sport of boxing in a positive way as fan interest in the UK surpasses any other in the world.
“I don’t know if it’s a regular stop, but it will be a stop in one way or another,” Arum said when asked if this would be Beterbiev’s ‘regular stop’ against 31-year-old Anthony Yarde.
“You are with Yarde, who punches very well, and Beterbiev has fallen many times in his career. So the war can end in one of two ways. One thing I assure you, it ends with a breakpoint.
Arum said: “If I could talk about money and not have a judge for the fight, I would be happy.
Yarde will find it difficult to go all 12 rounds against Beterbeiv if his chin and fitness have not improved since the loss to Kovalev. Yarde hasn’t faced a boxer of his caliber since his fight with Kovalev, so you can’t tell if he’s improved in the last three years.
Since that loss, Yarde has won 5-1, with wins over the following formidable opponents: Stefani Koykov, Lyndon Arthur, Alex Theran, Dec Spelman and Diego Jair Ramirez.
If Yarde has beaten a boxer of the caliber of Joshua Buatsi, Craig Richards or Callum Smith in the past three years, it would be easy to see him as a credible threat to Beterbiev.
Beating the likes of Koykov, Arthur, Theran, Spelman, and Ramirez aren’t names good enough to consider Yarde anything other than another Beterbiev eliminated victim.
Undisputed is the end of 2023
“Actually I don’t think we’ll be able to do that undisputedly, assuming Artur continues to win until perhaps the end of next year,” Arum said of the undisputed match. controversy between Beterbiev and WBA lightweight champion Dmitry Bivol .
“There is Callum Smith, who is required from another organization [WBC], and we’ll make that fight. If Bivol makes it through, then we will fight against Bivol. “Economics may vary from place to place, but the ring is the same.
“Artur we are a tourist. He lives in Canada now. He has a permanent residence in French Canada, now in Montreal. So wherever is best for that fight, we will. I do not care. The ring too,” Arum said of the Beterbiev vs. Bivol.
“Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Wembley,” Arum said of the possible destinations for the undisputed clash between Beterbiev and Bivol. “
“So to bring Beterbiev here in London to fight on January 28 is a great, wonderful thing and I think everyone will be pleased with the fight.
“Especially dealing with Queensbury. I already know Frank [Warren] for many years, and then we started promoting Tyson Fury together.
“It was a good relationship, and that led to Queensbury causing so much controversy here that we bought the rights to show it in the US on ESPN, so it was a great relationship. .
“Strike right,” Arum said when asked what Yarde could bring that Beterbiev might not be able to handle. “If I were coaching Anthony Yarde, I would say, Be patient.
“When Beterbiev is open, throw your punches and knock your punches down because you are a brutal puncher yourself,” Arum said.
