The much talked about all British light heavyweight showdown between Joshua Buatsi and Anthony Yarde has come up against plenty of stumbling blocks in recent times and now the latest update has once again suggested it is a way off yet.
Back in March, reports at the time indicated that negotiations were progressing smoothly, with both fighters expressing eagerness to finally square off after their careers had closely paralleled each other for several years.
Both athletes are widely recognised as two of the best light-heavyweights in the country, with Buatsi claiming the top spot in the WBA and WBC rankings.
Yarde, on the other hand, has demonstrated his skill and resilience, particularly in his efforts to rebound following his previous world title challenges against unified champion Artur Beterbiev and former champion Sergey Kovalev, where he displayed commendable perseverance despite ultimately succumbing to defeat.
Buatsi’s recent triumph over Dan Azeez further cemented his status as a formidable contender in the division, while Yarde’s not quite had such competitive rounds for a while and recently came out to say he was a free agent.
His suggestion that he was no longer under contract with Queensbury, with whom he had been since turning professional, caused Frank Warren to come out and deny that. He maintained he was open to talking to Yarde, and suggested that he had been badly advised, but contended that there is still an obligation between the two.
Speaking to Boxing Social, BOXXER’s Ben Shalom who now promotes Buatsi was asked if the fight can be made right now.
“Not unless he is a free agent, and I think that is disputed.”
He was then asked about any more updates that could be given and expressed his frustration.
“I’m just frustrated, frustrated for myself, frustrated for the fighters, it’s the fight the fans want to see, and I think everyone can see it’s through no fault of our own and yeah.
“We’ve been making a lot of big British fights recently, getting a lot over the line, we see how the fans react to it, we see how they come out, we’re going to see again on June 15 the fact a domestic fight can sell a stadium, that is an enormous fight. So yeah, very frustrated at the moment, still hopefully, because it’s such an obvious fight, but we have to assess all options now.”
It seems as though Yarde is the one who needs to sort out his own promotional situation before negotiations for what would be a fantastic fight can move on to the next stage.
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