WBO world light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev (33-3-1, 28KOs) and challenger Anthony Yarde (18-0, 17KOs) met for the first time today at their fight week press conference. They collide on Saturday night in Chelyabinsk, Russia live on ESPN+ and BT Sport 2.
Anthony Yarde: “I’m just going to literally go in the ring and be myself. I’m going to focus on myself, be the best that I can be and get the knockout victory because that’s what I feel like I need to do to win the fight. I don’t know which round. I’m not a psychic… but that’s my plan. In boxing you can’t predict rounds. I’ve just got to go in there with a goal in my head and produce.”
Sergey Kovalev: “We did have an offer (from Canelo Alvarez) but we can talk about that after Saturday night. Official agreements were already made with Antony Yarde. My primary task is to defend the title. If the fight is still interesting for Canelo afterwards then OK…I understand Anthony Yarde’s ambitions. He calls himself a lion but to me he is a cub. He is so young. I will have to get rid of all that baby fur off his skin so he will run away back home. It is clear he comes here and he wants to be like that. I have this experience. Now is my time.”
This fight is more worthy for both Kovalev and Yarde and maybe even more exciting. The Canelo fight is more business and will be staged and or fixed to have Canelo come out with the win.
#FixedBusiness
Hopefully Yarde is not coming for just a check but coming to Bang. This is anyone’s fight
This will be a brutal fight. Yarde can bang and is undefeated for a reason. Win or lose, it will be a tough night for both. Yarde is on his way up and Kov is past his prime, so it may well be a change of guards. Kov is the official and clear favorite, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Yarde wins by KO.
I think Yarde feels the power quick in this fight and its ended early via stoppage win for Kovalev.
I sense an upset. I know it’s not conventional to judge this way but Yarde seems really up for the fight and I get the feeling that Kov sees this as just a routine defence.
It’s a massive step up for Yarde but I think it’s an educated gamble.