Lyndon Arthur stages huge upset to defeat Anthony Yarde and retain Commonwealth light-heavyweight title
- Lyndon Arthur managed to secure a surprise victory against Anthony Yarde
- The fight went the distance but Arthur impressed in many of the early rounds
- Yarde’s world title dream is distant after he missed chance to make an impact
Anthony Yarde’s attempt to climb back into world light heavyweight championship contention slipped disastrously off the lowly rung of a Commonwealth title fight.
For the second Saturday running in Westminster Church House the underdog, this time Lyndon Arthur, jabbed his way to a huge upset.
The first half of the night was a carbon copy of Joyce’s conquest of young world heavyweight prospect Daniel Dubois. Jab Night 2 did not come to the same conclusion as the stoppage of Dubois.
Anthony Yarde suffered a huge upset as Lyndon Arthur (pictured) jabbed his way to victory
This time it went the distance but Yarde had been left handed out of so many of the early rounds that not even a barnstorming 12th could save him.
The world title dream he almost realised in Russia until he was caught by fearsome puncher Sergey Kovalev is now as distant as that of the eye shattered Dubois.
This had been the time, date and place scheduled for Tyson Fury’s UK homecoming fight.
Yarde was attempting to climb back into light heavyweight contention but was beaten
Yarde had been left handed out of so many of the early rounds that not even a barnstorming 12th could save him
Hopefully that will happen against Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium next spring for all the world heavyweight belts. Boxing politics, an AJ victory over Kubrat Pulev next Saturday and Deontay Wilder’s legal action to enforce a trilogy fight with the Gypsy King permitting.
The Yarde bird could not come close to doing himself justice, let alone filling that void.
Somehow one judge had him winning 117-111. That was scandalous. But the other two at 115-1114 were too close for reason, or comfort