Anthony Yarde's coach Tunde Ajayi added that the British light-heavyweight would also 'step up tomorrow' to take on cruiserweight world champion Chris Billam-Smith, and says his prospective fight against Joshua Buatsi deserves to take place in a football stadium
Tuesday 19 March 2024 20:14, UK
Boxxer promoter Ben Shalom says Joshua Buatsi and Anthony Yarde are ready to fight in a 'special' all-British showdown tipped for stadium treatment later this year.
The London duo have regularly been linked to a potential encounter in the ring as two of Britain's' premier light-heavyweights, with Buatsi eyeing a clash as yet another step towards a world title opportunity.
He arrives on the back of a commanding unanimous-decision victory over Dan Azeez, while Yarde has recorded back-to-back knockout victories in response to his loss to Artur Beterbiev, which was named fight of the year at this week's British Boxing Board of Control awards.
"I had a laugh with him [Yarde] and said 'hurry up!'," Shalom told Sky Sports. "Joshua Buatsi is ready. Hopefully we'll be sitting down with George Warren [of Queensberry Promotions] next week. Everybody wants the fight, both promoters want the fight, it's going to get done.
"It's going to be the UK, I believe it will be next as well. Fingers crossed we see another phenomenal fight, he's always in good fights.
"That Yarde-Beterviev fight was very very good but I think this is the one. Yarde-Buatsi is a fight people have wanted for many years.
"I think both of them coming in in the way they will, and the form Buatsi is in now coming off that Dan Azeez win, it's a special fight and one of those 50-50 British fights that captures the imagination. Fingers crossed we can hurry up and get that fight on."
Yarde continues to make no secret of his desire to take on Buatsi in what beckons as one of the most highly anticipated British contests of the year.
The 32-year-old has backed himself to prevail as he continues his pursuit of another world title shot, though insists he will leave "spite" for the ring.
"I've said it, I've looked straight into the Sky Sports camera before and said me and Joshua Buatsi need to fight this year," said Yarde.
"There's a difference between amateur boxing and professional boxing. This professional boxing is a business so I'm just praying the negotiations can be sensible, fair and we can make the fight for the fans.
"I see myself winning, I don't like to put any spite on it, I see myself winning and I feel like I've been in bigger fights, had tougher competition, for me I've been showing I've been getting better every fight.
"It's all talk. Everybody knows my style, get in the ring and get it cracking."
Yarde left an admirable account of himself as he went toe-to-toe with the undefeated Beterbiev in the pair's thrilling contest back in January 2023.
Such was the nature of his performance that it was deemed perhaps the first time the 39-year-old knockout merchant had been troubled in his professional career. Beterbiev has since gone on to extend his record to 20-0 (20 KOs) with a seventh-round stoppage win over Callum Smith.
A prospective rematch sits among a lengthy list of fights Yarde would welcome, according to coach Tunde Ajayi.
"We're ready. It's the Anthony Yarde show, all roads lead to Anthony," said Ajayi. "There are so many fights.
"I put it out there in a tweet - Beterviev II, [Dmitry] Bivol, Jai Opetaia at cruiserweight. Anthony said to me today, 'I'll fight him! Everybody is ducking this guy, I'm ready!' Anthony would fight Jai Opetaia.
"Sergey Kovalev II, Anthony would love the rematch. We've heard that Kovalev has decided to come back out and fight again.
"There's Chris Billam-Smith, Anthony would go up tomorrow and fight Chris Billam-Smith."
Before then, Buatsi awaits. And Ajayi insists it is a fight that warrants the biggest stage possible.
"The one I feel the British fans want to see is a fight that has been in the making for over five years and one that would do a stadium," he added. "I keep hearing O2 talk, but it's a football stadium.
"How do you know? Ask anybody who you would like to see Anthony Yarde fight next in this country, ask anybody who they want to see Buatsi fight next. That shows you this fight is way bigger than the O2.
"If the promoters can get themselves together, it's definitely a fight we would entertain."
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