Yarde vs Nikolic and Hamzah Sheeraz-Liam Williams to Stream LIVE on ESPN+ – Fight action from London starts at 2 p.m. ET /11 a.m. PT
It can as we know, be dangerous looking past an opponent, looking past an imminent assignment. And tonight, in his second fight back since being stopped in a great action fight by Artur Beterbiev, Anthony Yarde faces Marko Nikolic, the Serbian holding a 32-3(12) pro record. Joshua Buatsi, Yarde’s London rival, is expected to be at ringside, the two having been in talks to fight each other in what would/will be a massive London derby this summer.
So, providing Yarde, 24-3(23) has paid and is paying Nikolic full respect, and providing he doesn’t slip on any banana skin at The Copper Box this evening, Yarde Vs. Buatsi will be on, to play out in front of what will likely result in an 11,000 sell-out in either June or July. This is the word according to the website of the UK trade paper, Boxing News. Talks “are progressing well,” Boxing News reports.
Buatsi, and coming off a big win over Dan Azeez to win the British and Commonwealth light heavyweights, also earned a shot at the WBA title, the Azeez fight being a final eliminator. But Buatsi, 18-0(13) is willing to risk things by taking on Yarde in what could prove to be a domestic classic. Buatsi, aged 30, seems to be closing in on his prime, while former two-time world title challenger Yarde, aged 32, showed so much heart as well as power in his brave and gusty challenge of Beterbiev in January of last year.
Who wins if (or when) Yarde and Buatsi get it on? Talk about a super-solid match up of the genuine 50-50 variety! Both warriors are said to really want to face each other and talks have been ongoing for a while. Again, as long as Yarde does the business without any slips ups tonight, and as long as neither he nor Buatsi has a change of heart for any reason, this big all-British showdown so many fans are hugely interested in will go ahead.
And Yarde promoter Frank Warren has suggested the fight may go out on both TNT Sports and Sky Sports. Fights like this one need to get made.
