ANTHONY YARDE is just one win away from unified light-heavyweight glory in his own back yard.
All that stands in the Londoner’s way is boxing’s only champion with a 100 per cent knockout ratio.
Yarde, 31, challenges Artur Beterbiev, 38, for the Russian’s WBC, IBF and WBO world titles on Saturday at Wembley Arena in the capital.
It is a massive fight that brings two of the sport’s biggest punchers together.
Ahead of the anticipated clash, SunSport breaks down how the two big hitters compare.
Beterbiev comes from a well-schooled amateur background, having won world and European championships.
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He went to the 2012 Olympics but was beaten by current unbeaten heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, 36.
In the professional ranks, Beterbiev has wasted no time in making his mark, with 18 KOs in as many fights.
He became IBF champ in just his 12th bout by beating Enrico Kolling, 32, and has since added two more belts to his collection.
Along the way, he has taken the scalps of Oleksandr Gvozdyk, 35, Marcus Browne, 32, and Joe Smith Jr, 33.
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But perhaps Yarde will take confidence from Beterbiev’s fourth-round win over Callum Johnson in 2018.
Now-retired Brit Johnson had Beterbiev down in the second but failed to follow up and was taken out himself.
Yarde has vowed not to let the same opportunity slip if it presents itself on the weekend.
And the Londoner should know, having had Sergey Kovalev in all sorts of trouble in his 2019 WBO title challenge.
But Yarde failed to put Kovalev, 39 away in round eight and was stopped himself in the 11th.
It was the first time he tasted defeat until Lyndon Arthur, 31, edged out a split-decision in 2020.
Although Yarde brutally made up for it in their rematch a year later, closing the show in four rounds.
He returned in a keep-busy bout in November, taking three rounds to get rid of German Stefani Koykov, 30.
It was Yarde’s 22nd KO in his 23 wins, meaning he has a stoppage ratio of 88 per cent.
Although not even that is enough to match Beterbiev’s unrivalled punching record.
What Yarde does have on his side is youth and activity.
Despite Beterbiev’s storied career in the amateurs, he has amassed only 83 rounds in the pros, such is his power.
And having only had 18 bouts, Yarde is on paper the more experienced in the paid ranks with 25 fights to his name.
The two stand the same at 6ft, but Beterbiev carries a one inch reach advantage with a length of 73in.
It makes for a genuinely enticing affair which all-but promises to be decided within the scheduled 12-round distance.
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Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
