Joshua Buatsi vs Anthony Yarde almost finalised
It is been rumoured that terms have finally been agreed for a much-anticipated contest between British light heavyweight rivals Anthony Yarde vs Joshua Buatsi.
The fighters are both from London and stand among the elite in the world of light-heavyweight boxing. Buatsi currently holds the top contender spot with both the WBA and the WBC, further cementing his status with a solid 12-round points victory over Dan Azeez last month.
On the other hand, Yarde has been on a journey of rebuilding following an exhilarating world title bout against unified champion Artur Beterbiev which came after he also stepped up against Sergey Kovalev in Russia and came out on the wrong side of a knockout loss.
With their impressive records and undeniable talent, their promoters are now convinced that the time is ripe for these longstanding rivals to finally face each other in the ring, and fans have long agreed.
Yarde’s promoter Warren has confirmed that to Sky Sports, “Everybody wants it, says they want it and it’s a matter of agreeing the terms. One side has agreed terms and the other is still negotiating. I’m hoping that we can get it done. Because it’s a fight that everybody wants to see.
“At the end of the day, everyone’s going to have to be realistic. If everybody’s as good as their word it will happen.”
All four of the belts in this division are currently held by Beterbiev and Dimitri Bivol, who will fight it out in an undisputed contest in the summer which, says Warren, will result in a shot at a title for the winner of Yarde and Buatsi.
“The winner of that fight will become the mandatory to the title and the two guys, Beterbiev and Bivol, as you know are fighting on June 1 so they’re going to be out of action until at least November.
“So [Yarde-Buatsi] is a no-brainer. It’s a no-brainer and why wouldn’t it happen? “I think it’s a good fight for Anthony. But I see where people come from where they fancy Joshua.”