With reigning light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev out of commission for the immediate future, the WBO has ordered Joshua Buatsi to face Anthony Yarde for the interim title in a long-overdue domestic showdown. The two have 10 days to negotiate and avoid a purse bid, which would feature a $300,000 minimum.
Buatsi (18-0, 13 KO) and Yarde (25-3, 24 KO) have been circling each other for years, but somehow never crossed paths. To be fair, they’ve employed very different means of career advancement; Buatsi has patiently worked his way through the ranks, beating noteworthy countrymen like Craig Richards and Dan Azeez, while Yarde splits his time between squashing no-hopers and falling short in world title fights.
A secondary title should be pretty enticing, but it’s worth noting that Buatsi’s win over Azeez was a WBA eliminator, meaning he may not want to risk what could become an undisputed title shot when/if Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol finally settle the score. Honestly, though, this is the WBA we’re talking about; there’s no guarantee they’ll ever call Buatsi’s number, especially when there’s a good chance the WBC will push for the winner of David Benavidez vs Oleksandr Gvozdyk to jump the line. Duking it out with Yarde for what’s sure to be a tidy sum seems the better plan to me.