THE WBO have ordered Anthony Yarde vs Sergey Kovalev for their light-heavyweight title.
Kovalev is a long step up from the opposition Yarde has faced so far. But the Londoner’s promoter Frank Warren is prepared to take that risk and make the fight. “We’ve got until April to try and agree terms, if not we’re going to purse bids and we’ve got to decide what direction we’re going to go,” Warren said. “His manager’s Kathy Duva, Top Rank are working with him so hopefully we can work something out between us to get the fight on.”
“It’s a funny thing everyone’s saying why don’t you put him in with someone, when’s he going to fight someone, now everyone’s saying are you sure? You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t,” he continued. “Every fight is a risk. He’s number one, he’s number one for a reason.”
He will however try to bring the fight to Britain. “I want it in the UK,” the promoter said. “I don’t want it to go to the States.
“On Monday we’re going to go through, we’re going to look at what our game plan is and then we’ll go from there.”
“I’ve got a lot of faith in Anthony. I thought he looked really well last time out, intelligent the way he boxed, controlled the tempo of the fight, people get a taste of that right hand,” he added. “He gets their attention and he then controls the whole tempo of the fight.
“When he starts turning the temperature up, he’s a sensational finisher.”
