Anthony Yarde’s Team Declined IBF Light Heavyweight Title Shot
Top British light heavyweight prospect Anthony Yarde admitted that he and his team were offered a chance to fight for a world title, but declined the opportunity.
In an interview with IFL TV, Yarde revealed that his team were given an offer to fight IBF champion Artur Beterbiev but Yarde's team declined the fight because they feel like the young boxer is not ready to enter the world title scene just yet, given his limited experience. Yarde also mentioned that he was not the first option for Beterbiev, but numerous other boxers had previously declined a chance to fight Beterbiev.
"The offer did come through because I think the guys that he was meant to fight turned down the fight as well. It went down like four people so my team was the fourth team to decline. My team doesn't think that I should be in world title fights yet. I only had 12 amateur fights. There's a lot of domestic fights that can happen. Everything is about timing and they feel like a world title scene ain't right just yet," Yarde said.
Yarde, ranked No. 6 in the IBF light heavyweight rankings, only has 15 professional fights and 12 amateur fights, but has already been a successful boxer, winning the British light heavyweight title in his 11th professional boxing match. Since then, Yarde added the WBO Intercontinental and European light heavyweight titles. He is expected to make his return to the ring on the June 23 boxing card at the O2 Arena that will be headlined by Billy Joe Saunders vs. Martin Murray for the WBO middleweight title.
