Anthony Yarde appears to be the ‘prize’ for the winner of Friday night’s Commonwealth 175lbs title clash between champion Lyndon Arthur and Dec Spelman at the BT Sport studio, but ‘The Beast’ doesn’t seem to appreciate the constant call-outs from his rivals.
Former WBO title challenger Yarde was due to face Arthur on April 11 before the intervention of the Covid-19 Pandemic and the needle between the two is evident, with underdog Spelman hoping to derail that confrontation with an upset win on Friday.
“I’ve never felt the need to call out anybody. I feel like if you make enough noise [in the ring], you’re going to get big fights,” said Yarde, who hopes to return in early September. “So how does it feel? I don’t pay attention to it. A lot of British fighters call out my name, a lot fighters from other countries call out my name. If we’re not fighting just shut up.
“If we’re not fighting, I’m not responding to you… you don’t matter. If Lyndon Arthur gets through this fight, we’ll get it cracking. If Spelman wins that puts him in the pipeline for me and him to fight.
“We’ll just see how it goes,” he added. “No one knows what’s going to happen in boxing, all it takes is one punch. I’ll just stay focused and keep moving forwards.
“There’s been a bit of hype around me and Lyndon Arthur as he’s undefeated. I think Lyndon’s got the bigger name right now. That’s what it is for me, the biggest names and the most attention. I want the fights that make the most noise and if Lyndon Arthur gets through this fight it makes ours even better.”
Arthur, meanwhile, has revealed that his trainer and uncle Pat Barrett had a dream about the outcome of his fight with Spelman.
“He had a dream I put him out in four,” said Arthur at Queensberry Promotions’ online press conference. “So keep your hands up and your chin down in round four, Dec.”
An unimpressed Spelman responded, “I’m coming for you! If Lyndon wants to take me out in round four, more fool him because I’m going to be on his chest from round one.”