Anthony Yarde: Joshua Buatsi fight eventually is going to happen | ‘I’m not shying away from anybody!’
Rival London light-heavy and two-time world title challenger Anthony Yarde will have a close eye on Joshua Buatsi vs Dan Azeez; Yarde warns: “Buatsi is very up and down. Sometimes he looks very good, sometimes he looks very mediocre”; Buatsi fights Azeez live on Sky Sports on October 21
Anthony Yarde believes he will eventually fight London rival Joshua Buatsi.
After losing a world title clash with Artur Beterbiev, Yarde returns to action against Ricky Summers next month, while Buatsi will box another top London light-heavyweight in Dan Azeez on October 21 at the O2 Arena, live on Sky Sports.
Yarde has been circling a potential clash with Buatsi for several years. He told the Toe2Toe podcast: “I thought me and Buatsi would have had the fight. I felt like it was a good time.
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“I don’t really care. I feel like eventually it’s going to happen.”
Yarde revealed the two have had face-to-face conversations about staging the fight, and is confident that in due course it can be made. “When the time is right, we’ll make the fight as big as it needs to be. If we need to trash talk, we’ll trash talk. If we need to get into each other’s faces, if it needs to be tactical, it will be tactical,” Yarde said.
“Me and him have spoken personally, and it seems like we both want to fight. I definitely want the fight and I’m not shying away from anybody. I’ve shown time and time again what I’m about.”
He also highlighted his friendship with Azeez but mentioned that a Buatsi win would be his preference. “I know Dan Azeez very well. It would be good to see Azeez come out on top because he’s got a good heart and he’s a good person. I’ve known him for a long time,” he said.
“But again, will it dampen the fight between me and Buatsi? Possibly. So, for that reason, I would want Buatsi to get the win. It’s business.”
As to who he believes will win the fight, Yarde couldn’t pick between the pair, saying: “I don’t know because, Buatsi, he’s very up and down. Sometimes he looks very good, sometimes he looks very mediocre. Azeez has got better fighting decent opponents. He’s been stopping opponents.”
Yarde reflected on his close encounters with becoming a world champion, acknowledging the challenges of stepping into the sport relatively late. Yarde’s perspective was clear: “I’ve shown time and time again, I’m willing to take on all the challenges and I’ll continue to go for these challenges as well.”
His battle against Artur Beterbiev, an undefeated unified world champion with an 100 per cent knockout ratio, underlined his resilience and adaptability as he navigated a steep learning curve.
When discussing his encounters with top-tier opponents like Beterbiev and Sergey Kovalev, Yarde noted: “I’ve always been in a situation where I’m learning on the job. Every time I’ve got into that ring, it’s a new experience for me. I had a limited amateur career, had 12 amateur fights. As a professional, a lot of my fights were knockouts, so the time spent in the ring hasn’t been a lot, so every time I get into the ring, it’s a different experience.”
Beterbiev stopped Yarde in an eight-round back-and-forth battle in London earlier this year. The champion was due to defend his WBC, WBO and IBF light-heavyweight titles against Callum Smith this weekend in Canada, but a jawbone infection forced him to reschedule the bout for January 13.
Yarde feels that Smith can get the job done – because he left a dent in the champion. “I’m a firm believer in what’s meant for you will be, so maybe this is Callum Smith’s time,” he suggested.
“I feel like I’ve put some damage in there. If he does win, I know I helped a little bit. I hope Callum Smith can go out there, win it and beat him.”
The postponement means Beterbiev will have been out of the ring for almost a year before boxing Smith. Yarde doesn’t feel that the time away will affect the champion, though the injury might.
He said: “It will be a good fight. But again, now is the time. He [Beterbiev] is not behaving like he’s getting any older, he’s very disciplined. But again, with a jaw infection, that’s a big thing. So hopefully, Callum can go out there and get the win.”
Yarde’s own upcoming bout against Summers will be on the undercard of Joe Joyce’s rematch with Zhilei Zhang on September 23.
Summers lost a split-decision to Dan Azeez in 2021 and Yarde emphasised his respect for all opponents and his rigorous preparation for each fight, ensuring he doesn’t underestimate any challenge. “If I wasn’t taking every fight seriously, I would never have got to the stage I’ve got to, where I’m at,” he said.
“Every opponent I fight, to me, is like a world title fight. You have to win.”
