By: Sean Crose
Anthony Yarde is a great game and a great fighter. Furthermore, he had the match of a lifetime on Saturday night in London. He hits well, moves well, fights intelligently and shows the heart of a lion. Unfortunately for Yarde, his opponent last weekend was the IBF, WBC and WBO lightweight champion Artur Beterbiev. Because Beterbiev is a boxer with a talent for patience while his opponent is temporarily overwhelming him, as is the case with Yarde. By continuing to pressurize relentlessly, delivering thunderbolt after thunderbolt, Beterbiev was able to stop Yarde impressively in the seventh round.
Going into the game, Beterbiev 19-0 had won every of his previous encounters before the final bell rang. Saturday’s game was no different. Not yet Sports sky wrote earlier that “the last time Beterbiev fought in the ring in London was a decade ago in the 91kg quarter-final of the 2012 Olympic Games…he lost that match to Oleksandr Usyk, the Ukrainian athlete. became the undisputed pro cruiser champion and unifying WBO, WBA and IBF heavyweight title after defeating Anthony Joshua twice.”
Sports sky raises the question of whether Betterbiev is ready to take on Usyk again. “No problem,” he replied casually. “If you organize.” In fact, Betterbiev has no will for the man who beat him in the amateurs more than a decade ago. “He was successful. He did a great job,” he said of Usyk. “He was a good fighter and he did very well. I don’t really care (seems to be up to date on Usyk news). I don’t follow Usyk or anyone else.” However, Betterbiev will not dismiss the problem that may face Usyk in the future.
“I can go on, it’s exciting but another champion is good too,” he declared. “I try to be ready for anything. If it comes, we will try to do it.” At the very least, the battle will be an interesting one.
