Sergey Kovalev insists he will make Anthony Yarde pay for his antics!
After a very rocky off and on again build up, it’s finally fight week and WBO light heavyweight Sergey “The Krusher” Kovalev (33-3-1, 28 KO’s) is looking to put a hurting on his mandatory Anthony Yarde (18-0, 17 KO’s)!
The two men will lock horns at Traktor Sport Palace in Kovalev’s own Russian backyard on Saturday August 24.
From the very beginning of this fights inception there were a series of unpredictable hurdles complicating its finalization. Initially, Kovalev’s many legal problems hampered the bout.
Later, when boxing’s cash cow Saul “Canelo” Alvarez randomly sought a fight with the Krusher, the bout was once again temporarily cast into obscurity. Finally, everything was signed sealed and delivered and the fight is a go.
While the fight itself was thrown up in the air several times, Team Yarde’s slick talking remained a constant. Throughout the entire build-up, Yarde and his head coach, Tunde Ajayi, have consistently insisted that not only will they beat Kovalev, they will make it look like easy work.
As can be assumed, the Krusher did not take kindly to the capricious tough talk. Not only is Kovalev the reigning champion, its common knowledge that he is by far Yarde’s toughest opponent to date.
For the better part of it, Kovalev has remained fairly silent. Now that fight week has arrived, the hard-hitting champion has let it be known he’ll be looking to humble his cocky UK challenger.
“We are going to teach him a lesson on the 24th! I’ve seen young guys like him because of my experience.
“He posted many unpleasant things on Instagram, many unnecessary things, but I don’t care! He can do what he likes, but he must pay the price.
“I will show who is the boss here. […] He could say everything, what he wants, you know? But say and do is two different things you know?
“[…] He will pay for everything he posted! He’s just a kid! He’s not a lion, he’s a little kitten, a small kitten, yeah!”
Thus far, Yarde has looked the part when placed in the ring against lower tier opposition. After being loosed upon those foes, he has collected 17 knockouts in 18 fights.
As far as he is concerned he is going to collect his eighteenth stoppage August 24. Due to his lifelong infatuation with lions, Team Yarde has become well known for their battle cry, “Lions in the camp!”
The Krusher is not impressed, nor concerned, about his opponent’s string of knockouts or his catch phrase. On Saturday, it’s Kovalev’s intention to humble Yarde by putting him in his true place.
Will experience and established craft prevail or will youthful confidence buck odds and come out on top? We will see? One thing is for sure, it’ll be a fun ride while it lasts!
By: Bakari Simpson
