1 year ago
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Anthony Yarde was 1 fractional of an unthinkable fightArtur Beterbiev showed his people erstwhile again to clasp his WBC, IBF, WBO light-heavyweight belts courtesy of an eighth circular knockout win implicit Anthony Yarde.
It was a high-intensity, big-hitting, back-and-forth decorativeness to a paper that surely had its ups and downs.
From a 14-second knockout to a journeyman who has mislaid 97 of his 105 fights, determination was thing for everyone astatine the OVO Arena, Wembley.
Fight of the twelvemonth contender?
As expected, the main lawsuit was afloat of fireworks.
Yarde came retired strongly, landing firmly and often with a antagonistic near successful the opening rounds. However, Beterbiev's acquisition and people yet came to the fore arsenic helium settled into his rhythm.
Beterbiev worked some assemblage and caput earlier Yarde's country stepped successful aft helium had been floored with a almighty right.
It mightiness lone beryllium January, but that did not halt immoderate suggesting the thrilling contention is an aboriginal contender for combat of the year.
Beterbiev's grounds moves to 19-0, with each of those wins coming by knockout, but Yarde was a much than capable adversary with 2 of the judges leaning successful his favour earlier the stoppage.
Either way, it was a main lawsuit with twists and turns arsenic the brace enactment it each connected the line.
What adjacent for Beterbiev?
Talk instantly turned to Beterbiev's adjacent hostile successful the aftermath of his latest triumph and it appears determination are respective options.
Mixed nighttime for Itauma brothers
Earlier connected the card, brothers Karol and Moses Itauma some stepped into the ring, but their bouts ended successful hugely contrasting circumstances.
Karol suffered a 5th circular knockout nonaccomplishment to Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna for the WBC International light-heavyweight belt.
But Moses, making his nonrecreational debut lone weeks aft turning 18, announced himself to the satellite with a stunning 14-second knockout.
Sharp by name, not by nature
It is just to accidental determination was a mixed absorption to journeyman Darryl Sharp, whose grounds is present 7-97-1, featuring connected the paper against imaginable Tommy Fletcher, who moves to 4-0 pursuing a points victory.
Sharp fought 13 times past year, winning twice, but helium was outboxed implicit six rounds successful his archetypal contention of 2023 and his quality truthful precocious connected the paper divided opinion.
YouTube face-off delays main event
Light-heavyweight Fury (right), member of WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, past fought successful April 2022And finally… successful scenes that would not beryllium retired of spot successful the WWE, American YouTuber-turned boxer Jake Paul and British combatant Tommy Fury faced disconnected successful the ringing earlier the main event.
The duo are set to combat successful Saudi Arabia connected 26 February. It was an unusual interlude to the main event, and who knows what Yarde and Beterbiev were reasoning being made to hold backstage portion Fury and Paul shouted astatine each other.
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