By Ron Lewis
Anthony Yarde says it is “surreal” that he is boxing Sergey Kovalev for the WBO light-heavyweight title on Saturday night, having watched the Russian win a world title on television before he had even taken up the sport.
The 28-year-old Londoner faces Kovalev in the Russian’s home city of Chelyabinsk on Saturday. A late starter in boxing, Yarde boxed only 12 times as an amateur, stopping all his opponents, and has earned his world-title shot after only 18 professional fights.
Yarde was watching on television as Kovalev first won the title from Nathan Cleverly in 2013, little then knowing that one day he would box Kovalev himself.
“It's surreal when you think about it,” Yarde said. “When I first decided to even try boxing, when I first went into a boxing gym, I watched Kovalev fight on TV. Now my name is spoken about in the same light as him, now I’m fighting him.
“I thought this guy is good and I want to get to that level, now here I am fighting him. You have to believe in the procedure, you have to believe in the journey.”
Yarde admits he faces a big task against the 36-year-old champion, but expects to win and says he is prepared to have to knock Kovalev out to get victory in Russia.
“When I do pull this off it will be one of the biggest upsets in boxing history,” Yarde said. “I’ve had 12 amateur fights, 18 professional fights and I’ve gone to Russia, not just to Russia but to Chelyabinsk, home of Sergey Kovalev, who has an impressive resume.
“I’m one of those people who thrives on a challenge. This is another challenge for me and the fact it is Kovalev is even better. He is not a paper champion, he’s not past it, he looked good in his last fight.
“On paper it can be put down as an impossible task but I believe that some things are labelled impossible until they are done.
“I’ve got a belief within myself and belief in the process, you can call it destiny but I am 100 percent confident that I will go in there and pull it off.”
Things did not get off to the best of starts when the bags of Yarde and Tunde Ayaji, his trainer, when they landed in Chelyabinsk, having flown from London via Moscow. The bags turned up 24 hours later, but it meant that his first training session in Russia was carried out in the clothes he had travelled in. Also there was also no hot water in his hotel room.
“Out of everybody on the flight, it was only me and Tunde’s stuff that didn't turn arrive and we flew business class, you’re meant to have some sort of priority,” Yarde said.
“When the bags went missing there was a raised eyebrow, I thought this is tactics or something. When I got the bags the next morning, I checked everything and everything was in there and nothing was added in there.
“People have been polite and the promotion has been professional.Other than the luggage going missing and no hot water in bedroom I've been happy.
“Before I came out here, I made up my mind that this was all a test, all part of my progression and the moulding of making me a better person, stronger person and to build me to what I want in life. “Sometimes you have to go through certain things. But I am not thinking negatively, I am only thinking positively and only thinking about the outcome.”
Anthony Yarde takes on Sergey Kovalev for the WBO world light heavyweight title, live on BT Sport 2 in the UK on Saturday August 24. Watch live on TV or via the BT Sport app
