Lyndon Arthur charts 'crazy' journey to headline slot against 'perfect dance partner' Anthony Yarde
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Lyndon Arthur fights Anthony Yarde a day shy of the one-year anniversary of their first fight
If Lyndon Arthur had things his way, he wouldn't be fighting Anthony Yarde again.
The Commonwealth and WBO Intercontinental light-heavyweight champion resumes his rivalry with Yarde almost a year to the day after beating him on a split decision in their first fight.
Yarde was bitterly disappointed with the scorecards and even now says he can't understand how two judges gave Arthur the win. Arthur is equally convinced, saying: "When I watch it back I think I'm winning the fight, pretty easily."
As well as believing it was a routine victory, Arthur thought that defeating his fellow Briton, a former world title challenger, would secure him his own crack at the WBO world belt.
"It's not that I wouldn't have done the rematch, it's if I had had it my way I'd be fighting for a world title now," Arthur tells BBC Sport.
But he admits that outside of a world-title shot, Yarde is the biggest name he could face in the ring.
"He's my perfect dance partner at this stage in my career to take me to the next level," Arthur says.
"He's just an opponent to me. There's no animosity from my side. He's just an opponent and it's business."
For Yarde, it was more than just a fight. It was a big setback for a boxer who was on the comeback trail after losing to Sergey Kovalev in a WBO title fight in 2019.
The pressure was on Yarde to perform and return to a world title level, while Arthur was happy to fly under the radar. However, Arthur disagrees with the idea he had nothing to lose going into the first fight.
"Me losing to him would have been worse than him losing to me because if I lose to him then I've got to a level I thought I was good enough for and been beat," Arthur says. "Whereas if he loses to me he's still got the rematch and he stays a big name in boxing.
"We've had opposite careers. But you know what, if I had the same amount of time and money spent on me as he's had, I would be just as big as him now if not bigger.
"I've been signed to Frank Warren for four, five years and sometimes I'd be fighting on small shows instead of Frank Warren shows.
"I didn't get televised once until I had a Commonwealth fight. Knockouts I was getting weren't getting televised and if they were I'd probably have the same following as Yarde - if not more."
Arthur, 30, was the lesser known fighter 12 months ago. He didn't - and doesn't - have the larger-than-life personality Yarde does. He is quietly confident, often saying very little. The Manchester boxer thinks carefully when asked to describe himself. "Mysterious" is his first thought, but he thinks again and settles on "reserved and fun".
"In the boxing world, I try not to give away too much," he says. "If you knew me, you'd think differently. It's a case of King Arthur and Lyndon - two totally differently people."
With 19 fights and as many wins, Arthur has slowly built a career under the guidance of his long-time coach Pat Barrett. The Briton always felt he was destined for the big stage - hence his 'King Arthur' nickname.
"When you start off it seems so far away, almost impossible - like it might never happen," he admits.
Lyndon Arthur was given a split decision victory over Anthony Yarde in their first fight
"But these are the kind of nights I knew I would be in eventually. It's what you want to be in boxing.
"There's no point being in boxing to be on small hall shows for the rest of your career or be on someone else's undercard.
"This is my fourth headline event where people are boxing on my undercard. It's quite crazy when I think about it. It's mad."
While the first fight with Yarde was behind closed doors, this time round they will fight at a packed Copper Box Arena in London. Arthur is confident he can stop Yarde in the rematch and is prepared to tailor his gameplan to adjust to his opponent's tactics. "The version of me will depend on him," he says, unconcerned with whatever changes Yarde might make.
"He's going to have to change, but he'll gas," he predicts.
"What people don't seem to understand is if he fights the same fight or a different fight, I am still going to win."
There are massive fights on the horizon for Arthur. Yarde stands between him and a crack at WBO champion Joe Smith Jr, in a competitive division that also includes Callum Smith and Joshua Buatsi. Arthur is determined to put on a thrilling show, but also explains why the sport he has dedicated his life to will never be his "be all and end all".
"My kids are the most important thing in the world, and my mum," he says. "There's nothing that could surpass that or even come close to it. If I stopped boxing I would still have them.
"When you finish boxing, you can become depressed and I don't feel like that's the path I want to go down. I don't want boxing to be the be all and end all of my life.
"It is, in a sense, because it's my career and I'm 100% into it. I want to reach my full potential in the sport - but after boxing, it can be a scary place if it's the only thing you've ever done."
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- Published29 November 2021
