The first high-profile fight in 2023 with the participation of the Russian boxer will take place on January 28 in London. WBC, IBF and WBO light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev will fight in the UK for the first time in his professional career (the Russian amateur competed at the 2012 Games), and he will face WBO mandatory challenger Anthony Yard of Great Britain.
Beterbiev not only remains undefeated, but is the only defending champion with a 100% saves record. None of the Russian’s 18 fights reached the judges’ decisions. Longest in the ring against Beterbiev was German Enrico Kelling – in November 2017, the Russian knocked out his opponent in the 12th round and won his first IBF belt.
Two other Beterbiev fights lasted 10 rounds – in the fall of 2019 against Alexander Gvozdik (he added the WBC belt to himself) and in the spring of 2021 against Adam Daines (Beterbiev’s only professional fight in Russia). The rest of Beterbiev’s fights lasted much less.
And now all pundits are unanimously saying that on Saturday night Beterbiev’s stats will be 19-0, KO 19. Not only are Yard’s chances not believed, but they expect a quick end to the fight. . But the duration of the battle is just under discussion. The majority of those polled lean towards a quick victory for Beterbiev in the second half of the match.
By the way, Yard’s statistics on early terminations are also very high – 95%. The Briton has 23 wins (22 by KO) with two losses. Admittedly, the level of opposition between Yard and Beterbiev is not comparable. Among the best opponents of the Briton, we can note the fight in August 2019 in Chelyabinsk for the WBO light heavyweight belt with the Russian Sergey Kovalev. Yes, Yard was able to put some decent resistance on the Russian star boxer, and even at one point there were fears of a possible British victory, but in the 11th round Yard fell from Kovalev’s jab.
Since that fight, the British boxer has fought six fights in which he won five. In December 2020, Yard lost a split decision to fellow countryman Linton Arthur, but a year later got a convincing revenge by knocking out his opponent in the fourth round.
“ARTHUR IS OUR TANK”
On the eve of the fight between Beterbiev and Yard, the correspondent actively communicated with Russian boxers and trainers, starting the conversation with a banal question: “Does Yard have a chance?”
Dmitry Bivol, WBA light heavyweight champion:
Yard’s ability to compete depends on the Briton. But if you look at all the points, if you break it all down by the stats, then, of course, Beterbiev is a clear favorite.
Former WBA Regular Welterweight Champion Alexander Besputin:
Arthur is our tank. To be honest, I don’t see how Yard can beat Beterbiev. And Arthur is a professional in his field, he is very experienced. I think he will approach the fight with skill, there will be no understatement. The fight must be formed according to the general evaluation.
Dmitry Kudryashov, former WBC Silver cruiserweight belt holder:
Yard has no chance. Arthur’s hand will close the matter of all Yard shoulder rolls. Going to trades with Arthur is suicide. In general, there is nothing to beat Arthur Yard.
Bare-knuckle fighter and boxer Soslan Asbarov:
— I am confident in Artur Beterbiev’s victory. But, of course, the opponent should not be underestimated, because this is boxing. But, I repeat, I am confident in Arthur’s victory in the duel with Yard. I’m going to put down roots and worry about Beterbiev. I wish him good luck!
“YARD – INTERMEDIATE BOXER”
Former IBF and IBO light welterweight belt holder Eduard Troyanovsky:
– Beterbiev, in his own way, is like and suppresses for several rounds, and as soon as Yard begins to tire, Arthur will simply grind him. We won’t see anything new in this battle in Beterbiev’s technique. Yes, Yard will move, which it does well. But there will be no miracle for the Briton, Arthur will crush him with his pressure, his hard blows. And somewhere in the second half, Arthur just knocks him out.
Olympic champion-2016, professional boxer of the first heavyweight Yevgeny Tishchenko:
– Yard is a tough boxer, and we saw that in his fight with Kovalev. I think it’s a tough fight for Artur, and for him this fight will be far. I’ve seen the quotes from the bookies, that Beterbiev is a clear favorite, but Arthur has to be very careful and well prepared. “Physical” Arthur will take, but the fight will not be easy, especially in the first rounds. It won’t be as easy as in a duel with Joe Smith. I think the Yard team will take into account that Arthur doesn’t need to be physically stubborn. In general, Arthur is waiting for a difficult battle. But I think he will win early in the next rounds.
Heavyweight Sergey Kuzmin:
– We saw Yard – in 2019 he boxed with Sergey Kovalev. And we know what kind of boxer he is. We understand what Arthur can oppose to him, but what the Briton can oppose to him is a question. I think Yard has little chance, but it does, because it’s boxing… So let’s not just rule out the UK boxer before the fight. For Yard, it’s an extremely important fight, he had such a chance, and I think he will try to show his maximum. But still… I see no chance. Yard is a mid-level boxer who is tough on Arthur. I think there will be a knockout somewhere before the middle of the fight.
“BETERBIEV IS NO LONGER A BOY, BUT HE IS STILL A FAVOURITE”
Some of ‘s callers approached statements about the 31-year-old Yard’s chances with restraint, paying attention to the Russian’s age. Beterbiev turned 38 on January 21.
Vitaly Slanov, trainer of former WBA and IBF heavyweight champion Murat Gassiev:
— Beterbiev is famous for his punching power. Yes, he is no longer a boy. As Muhammad Ali said, he can grow old in a day. Ali said that after a post-fight hiatus with (Leon) Spinks, he was no longer able to get in shape due to his age. The same could happen to Beterbiev. And so, all my preferences are on Arthur’s side. I think he will win. At the same time, Yard is also a punch boxer, and the puncher always has a chance. But, I repeat, I give preference to Beterbiev.
Former WBC heavyweight champion Grigory Drozd:
“I think we’re in for a very cool fight. Yard is Arthur’s next rival after Carnation, who poses a serious threat. The court is a danger. It’s very difficult to box Arthur when he’s functionally ready. When he’s ready to put the pressure on for 12 rounds, it’s very difficult to fight with him. If Arthur stays in shape… And he has the biggest punch in the light heavyweight division. I think Arthur Yarda can catch. At the same time, Anthony is quite sensitive. I remember him for the results of the fight with Kovalev for his good reflexes and skills. He just made a mistake, gave too much force, believed in his victory. There just wasn’t enough gas. And so the guy is driven and sensitive, with a good kick and speed. But the favorite for me is Artur Beterbiev. It’s likely he could end the fight sooner than expected.
Bivol’s coach, Gennady Mashyanov:
Everyone has a chance in boxing. There are a lot of unforeseen situations that can happen in the ring. Also, the Yard is not at all as simple as some people think. Experts are well aware that Yard is a good boxer, well prepared physically, can cause trouble for any opponent. At the same time, Arthur is definitely the favorite. Arthur as a boxer is much better educated and technically much better equipped. Additionally, Arthur is wiser, smarter, and more experienced. Everything is on his side. In general, speaking of odds in terms of percentage, I give 90 to 10 in favor of Arthur.
Watch live broadcasts of boxing evenings on the federal channel and the thematic channels of the holding, as well as on the sites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru.
Source : MatchTV
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
