ANTHONY YARDE could have been fighting Artur Beterbiev for the IBF light-heavyweight world title. But his promoter Frank Warren does not intend to rush him to world level.
“I mean everything is timing meaning the right things happen at the right time, things happen when they’re supposed to. I truly believe that. If you look at how my boxing career’s gone, if you look at how my life’s gone. That’s the only logical explanation. Everything is timing. So when the world titles come, they’re coming to stay after all that. It’s not always about rushing,” Yarde told Boxing News. “I’m confident in myself and I feel like when it comes I’m going to win and I’m going to stay there.
“I’ve got a long time,” he added. “It’s about being patient.”
Callum Johnson took on Beterbiev instead, knocking down the champion before he himself was stopped. “He gave a good account of himself. With myself I’m not on that, giving a good account of myself. I’m about winning,” Yarde said.
He is fighting in Brentwood on Saturday (October 20) against Walter Sequeira. “So I’m not really focused on any other boxer right now,” Yarde said. “All I do know is he [Sequeira] is ranked higher than any other light-heavyweight in this country [on Boxrec] apart from Callum Johnson and myself.”
“In this world there can be a lot of sheep and people just hear something and latch on to they hear and start saying it as well without doing their research. The opponents I’ve been fighting they’ve been tough,” he insisted.
Another rising London light-heavyweight is Joshua Buatsi who has impressed as he’s advanced through the professional ranks. A fight between Buatsi and Yarde is highly appealing, but might happen later rather than sooner. “My focus is Saturday but again in the future if he keeps doing what he’s doing, like I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing, it’s a blockbuster event,” says Yarde. “The future is very bright and the future is very exciting.”
