Anthony Yarde breaks down; takes apart Travis Reeves in five rounds
Light heavyweight contender Anthony Yarde kept his number one status, as well as defended the WBO Inter-Continental title for the fifth time by defeating Travis Reeves via 5th round stoppage.
For the most part, Yarde (18-0, 17KO) had his way and did what he wanted throughout the contest. However, respect must be given to Reeves (17-4-2, 7KO), who fought hard all the way.
In the end, the 27 year-old Yarde was too young, big, strong and powerful for 38 year-old Reeves to deal with.
The Breakdown
Yarde found his groove early, establishing himself as the faster and more skilled fighter. Landing jabs, counter shots and solid left hooks to the body early, he established his dominance early.
At times, Reeves tried to step forward in an attempt to land shots. However, Yarde easily avoided most of his opponent’s shots while landing hard punches of his own.
Yarde started to fight on the front-foot behind the jab in round two. He was very cool and precise in landing hard shots to the body and head. Showing marked improvement with every fight, he was not only accurate, but did an excellent job of rolling and slipping shots while maintaining position to counter.
By the end of the fourth round, the accumulation of punches started to show. Early in round five, Reeves was buckled and backed by a right hand 40 seconds into the round.
Seconds later, another right-hand caused Reeves’ legs to wobble. At that point, referee Marcus McDonnell had seen enough and called a halt to the contest 48 seconds into the round.
What’s Next?
The question now is “when will we see Yarde in a world title fight?” Asked after the match if he would accept an offer to face WBO champion Sergey Kovalev next, Yarde gave a bit of a conflicting answer.
“I would take it, but you have managers and promoters for a reason.”
He went on to explain that he was offered a world title shot a few months ago, but after talking to his team they came to the conclusion that at that moment, it was not the time.
For him and his team, it’s about building a career and there’s no rush.
Anthony Yarde is a talented and improving fighter. However, even among British boxing observers, he is not quite ready for the likes of Sergey Kovalev, despite his number one ranking.
Therefore, look for Team Yarde to take their time before stepping up and fighting the likes of “The Krusher.”
By: Michael Wilson Jr.
