East London's Yarde Aims for Third Time Lucky in World Title Quest
This Saturday night in the Arabian desert, Anthony 'The Beast From The East' Yarde flaps his wings once more. The London fighter makes his third attempt to win a world light-heavyweight title, this time against the undefeated WBC champion, David 'The Mexican Monster' Benavidez, in Riyadh.
Despite the betting odds being heavily stacked against him, Yarde remains valiant in his belief that he can finally fulfil his lifetime ambition. The portents for this fight appear no more promising than for his two previous challenges against stellar champions, but Yarde vows to deliver a performance worthy of his street-fighting origins.
A History of Valiant Defeats
Yarde's first world title shot came in 2019 when, as a relative professional novice, he boldly travelled to Russia to face Sergey Kovalev. The Krusher was slightly past his prime, but he ultimately secured an 11th-round knockout victory after Yarde began to fade following a strong start in the eighth round.
Fast forward to 2023, and Yarde believed he was ready for the formidable unified champion, Artur Beterbiev, at London's Wembley Arena. In a fiercely contested battle, two of the three judges surprisingly had Yarde ahead after the seventh round, despite Beterbiev having landed almost twice as many punches. The fight turned in the eighth when Beterbiev dropped Yarde, prompting his corner to throw in the towel and prevent further punishment.
The Mexican Monster Awaits
Now, Yarde faces perhaps his most daunting challenge yet. David Benavidez, known as the Mexican Monster, brings an unblemished record and justified claims that he has been avoided by the division's other elite fighters, including Beterbiev, Dmitry Bivol, and Canelo Alvarez.
For the American-born Benavidez, this weekend in Saudi Arabia serves as a way to stay active while awaiting the outcome of the delayed and decisive trilogy fight between Beterbiev and Bivol. For Yarde, however, the central issue remains the same as in his previous title fights: has his unorthodox training been modified enough to improve his stamina for the championship rounds?
The Final Chance for Glory
At 34 years old, this likely represents Yarde's last opportunity to strap on the coveted green and gold WBC belt. "I feel stronger than ever and even more convinced that I can beat absolutely anyone," Yarde declares.
If he cannot overcome the Mexican Monster, the Riyadh Season paymasters will at least provide a healthy retirement package for the East End warrior. But for Anthony Yarde, it's the title, not the money, that he has always truly wanted. The question echoing through the desert night will be whether it can finally be third time lucky for the Beast From The East.
