Queensberry: Lyndon Arthur vs Anthony Yarde Predictions & Results

Pintsized Background

The rematch we have all been waiting for is finally upon us. Strangely taking place in Anthony Yarde’s hometown of London, rather than a North-West affair for the Commonwealth holder, Lyndon Arthur, it will bother the champion little. It was only a year ago almost to the day that Arthur travelled to stun Yarde over twelve dominant rounds. A long list of prospects fill up a jam-packed Queensberry card, lets get cracking Arthur vs Yarde 2 Predictions.

Failed to catch last weekend’s action? No worries, we have you covered:
PI’s Preview: Teofimo Lopez vs George Kambosos Jr: Predictions.
PI’s Review: MAFB: Lopez vs Kambosos Jr Review.
PI’s Scoring: MAFB Math: Lopez vs Kambosos Jr.
PI’s Recommended Fight: Teofimo Lopez vs George Kambosos Jr.

Unconvinced by Pintsized’s mystical predicting powers? Take a look at our prediction success last month detailed in Boxing Predictions Results: November 2021.

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Arthur vs Yarde 2: Main Event

Lyndon Arthur (19-0, 13KO) vs Anthony Yarde (21-2, 20KO)

Lightweight (175)

WBO Inter-Continental Light Heavyweight Title

Commonwealth Light Heavyweight Title

Lyndon Arthur

First, the elephant in the room has to be addressed. After thoroughly beating Yarde in their first affair, many hoped that Arthur would kick on down the WBO line. After a sizeable lay-off, Arthur looked far behind the pace against a solid Davide Faraci. The Italian may be an awkward mover with a durable chin, but Arthur should have shown the levels between them far earlier in the contest. Dragging out a tiresome performance before finding a peach of a stoppage in the ninth round, Arthur covered up a dire night.

Usually, when reviewing fights, bias is often found to have clouded memory of the event. Re-watching Arthur vs Yarde 1 does no such thing. The Mancunian peppered Yarde with his stiff jab for the first ten rounds of the fight. Arthur isn’t an aesthetically slick mover, but his jab off the back-foot blunts an opponent’s attempts to close the distance and offers Arthur enough time to peel himself back into the centre of the ring. When Arthur’s injured right hand left him one-handed for the second half of his fight with Yarde, he doubled and tripled up the jab. Yarde’s slick head movement comes at the cost of granite feet, with Arthur starting to miss with the jab intentionally near the end just to root Yarde in place and kill some time on the clock.

Criminally underrated pre-Yarde, perhaps overrated now in the build-up to the rematch, Lyndon Arthur hasn’t proven himself to be a world title contender just yet. It was only a couple of years ago that Arthur was dragged into a war with the modest, Emmanuel Anim. Of course, whatever Yarde can bring to the table the second time around, Arthur can bring his right hand. Yarde shook off most of Kovalev’s punches, falling in the eleventh round as much to exhaustion (cheers, Tundi) as waning durability. If Arthur can spear his right straight into Yarde’s static body from the outset, the Manc could ask hard questions over Yarde’s late-round threat.

Anthony Yarde

How on Earth is Anthony Yarde still under the tutelage of Tunde Ajayi? There is a strong personal bond between the two men, but Ajayi has regularly offered some of the worst corner advice in recent times. Informing Yarde to expend his gas tank in the mid-rounds against Kovalev, while also telling his fighter he was collecting every round against Arthur, it is a surprise that Tunde is allowed anywhere near the ring on Fight Night.

Securing a first-round stoppage in his comeback fight should have boosted Yarde’s profile. Instead, fans were acutely aware that Alex Theran’s paper record compounded with a huge jump in weight that left an impossible task for the Colombian. Yarde looked more efficient with firing on the move, something that will be necessary to counter Lyndon’s ramrod jab. Yarde desperately needs to slip inside or under the jab, before returning with the firepower of his own – allowing him to gain something from the effort of getting inside. Unfortunately, against Theran who threw zero meaningful punches, we are yet to see if Yarde can stick to this new approach while under duress.

Much like Fury-Wilder I, there is hope that Yarde will take away great confidence that he cracked the code during the championship rounds. Rather than trying to out-slick Arthur at his own game on the outside, Yarde swarmed the Manc and prevented him from safely riding the round off of his jab. Yarde tied Arthur’s head or arm and traded 50/50 with the bigger man in the pocket. Yarde’s exceptional athleticism shone in the twelfth round and Arthur appeared uncomfortable with the pace. The game plan to beat Arthur is out there, whether Tunde is aware of it is another question.

Predicted Result: Yarde Decision

Criminally underrated pre-Yarde, perhaps overrated now in the build-up to the rematch, Lyndon Arthur hasn’t proven himself to be a world title contender just yet. After a sizeable lay-off, Arthur looked far behind the pace against a solid Davide Faraci. The Italian may be an awkward mover with a durable chin, but Arthur should have shown the levels between them far earlier in the contest.

Granted, Yarde’s first-round stoppage over Alex Theran was utterly meaningless. Yet, much like Fury-Wilder I, there is hope that Yarde will take away great confidence that he cracked the code during the championship rounds. Rather than trying to out-slick Arthur at his own game on the outside, Yarde swarmed the Manc and prevented him from safely riding the round off of his jab. Yarde tied Arthur’s head or arm and traded 50/50 with the bigger man in the pocket. Yarde’s exceptional athleticism shone in the twelfth round and Arthur appeared uncomfortable with the pace.

The game plan to beat Arthur is out there, whether Tunde is aware of it is another question. The safe call would be to back Lyndon Arthur, this time with a functioning right hand, to repeat the performance – especially as Yarde continues to stick with the motivation merchant in his corner. This isn’t a world level fight between two brutally efficient operators, however. If Yarde can drag this into a shoot-out, his elite physical gifts will shine.

Result: Yarde def. Arthur // KO Round 4 1:27

Winner ✔️ // Method ❌ // Round ❌

Return to Fight Card

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Arthur vs Yarde 2: Co-Main Event

Hamzah Sheeraz (13-0, 9KO) vs Bradley Skeete (29-3, 14KO)

Super Welterweight (154)

WBO European Super Welterweight Title

Hamzah Sheeraz

Hamzah Sheeraz looks the real deal. 6’1″ at Super Welterweight, Sheeraz’s exciting in-fighting is an easy sell to fans. Although it is frustrating to see the London man ignore his reach in favour of digging combinations in the pocket, he can force opponents to engage based on his reach. As Sheeraz walks down opponents, they are faced with two options. Move backwards while still being clipped by Sheeraz’s insane reach, or stand and trade with the slick inside fighter.

The most pleasing aspect of Sheeraz’s game is his ability to ease into the finish. Rather than throwing heavy leather from the get-go, Sheeraz slowly works through the gears to get a read of his opponent. Ezequiel Gurria went from dancing at the end of the third round, to drunkenly staggering around the ring in the fifth. The opening rounds consist of Sheeraz lightly probing with the jab before digging in body shots around the elbow. By the mid-round, Sheeraz is happy to prop his forehead on an opponent and sit into uppercuts.

Bradley Skeete

It’s been tough watching Bradley Skeete’s decline over the past few years. What was once a genuine prospect after securing the British title, Kerman Lejarraga took Skeete’s soul in Bilbao. An attempt to jump back into the rankings with a soft bout against Diego Ramirez ended in disaster as Skeete fell again in the second round. At thirty-four years of age and fighting in an alien weight class, there is a reason why the youthful Sheeraz is being backed so heavily.

If Skeete can somehow turn back the clock, the Londoner could cause Sheeraz real problems. A tricky boxer on the outside, peak Skeete drew opponents in with his low lead hand and reactively countered with short combinations. Sheeraz will have to show a never before seen level of ring-cutting to deal with Skeete’s slick lateral movement. Even in a dire performance against Diego Ramiez, Skeete’s jab looked crisp. Unfortunately for Skeete, the athletic drop has not been kind to his style. Ramirez’s telegraphed left overhand should never have landed on Skeete, yet the Brit couldn’t react in time while his low hands offered him no defence.

Predicted Result: Sheeraz TKO Round 4

If Skeete can somehow turn back the clock, the Londoner could cause Sheeraz real problems. A tricky boxer on the outside, peak Skeete drew opponents in with his low lead hand and reactively countered with short combinations. Unfortunately for Skeete, the athletic drop has not been kind to his style. Ramirez’s telegraphed left overhand should never have landed on Skeete, yet the Brit couldn’t react in time while his low hands offered him no defence.

Sheeraz may struggle in the opening rounds with Skeete’s slick lateral movement and crisp jab, but the 6’1″ prospect should be able to comfortably overwhelm the former British champion. Sheeraz has shown maturity throughout his career, slowly moving through the gears against opponents. There is little reason to believe that Sheeraz will fall apart if he cannot dominate the early proceedings.

Result: Sheeraz def. Skeete // TKO Round 9 0:58

Winner ✔️ // Method ✔️ // Round ❌

Return to Fight Card

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Arthur vs Yarde 2: Rest of the Card

Sam Noakes (7-0, 7KO) vs Shaun Cooper (11-2)

Lightweight (135)

vacant WBC International Silver Lightweight Title

Sam Noakes

7 fights, 7 KO’s, yet not a single meaningful fight. The twenty-four-year-old represents an exciting prospect, but in a similar vein to Lewis Ritson, pasting domestic opposition isn’t an accurate indicator of your ceiling. Noakes relentless pressure and full-blooded combinations catch the highlights, but he neglects anything defensive to keep opponents against the ropes. Shaun Cooper is a durable, experienced operator that could punish Noakes for standing defenceless in the pocket. While we have seen very little from Noakes aside from his inside work, the rare flickers of his jab are promising. If the tide gets rough, there is the possibility that Noakes can buy time with more educated straight shots.

Shaun Cooper

Shaun Cooper is the calibre of domestic opponent that will offer hard-earned rounds to a prospect. By no means a journeyman, Cooper is a rugged well-rounded boxer that is severely hampered by average at best athleticism. As seen against Mark Chamberlain, Cooper can take heavy artillery and continue to push the action. Unfortunately for Cooper, he is too often beaten to the mark in striking exchanges and cannot get his offence going. Particularly worrying is Cooper’s tendency to drop his lead hand when throwing the right. Noakes’ powerful left will cause serious trouble if Cooper does not adapt on the night.

Predicted Result: Noakes TKO Round 6

Shaun Cooper is a durable, experienced operator that could punish Noakes for standing defenceless in the pocket. As seen against Mark Chamberlain, Cooper can take heavy artillery and continue to push the action. Unfortunately for Cooper, he is too often beaten to the mark in striking exchanges and cannot get his offence going. Particularly worrying is Cooper’s tendency to drop his lead hand when throwing the right. Noakes’ powerful left will cause serious trouble if Cooper does not adapt on the night.

Result: Noakes def. Cooper // TKO Round 9 1:35

Winner ✔️ // Method ✔️ // Round ❌

Return to Fight Card

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Dennis McCann (10-0, 6KO) vs Juan Jose Jurado (15-4-3, 1KO)

Bantamweight (118)

Dennis McCann

It still baffles me that Dennis McCann is just twenty years of age. Already ten fights deep into his professional career, Dennis the Menace has cleaned through a decent level of opposition in the early stage of his career. Pedro Matos is a former European albeit (albeit, blown-up in weight at Bantamweight), John Chuwa has a hilarious Boxrec TD loss (PLEASE go and check it out) and Luis Montalvo is a dogged international pressure fighter. The hype behind Dennis McCann stems from his complete control over the pace and range of a fight. Out of his long Southpaw stance, McCann keeps opponents gun-shy with regular jabs that pop up from as low as his knee.

Juan Jose Jurado

At one point in his career, Jurado was 15-0-3 with a couple of solid victories over Hector Gusman and Junior Zarate. Since 2018, Jurado has lost four on the trot, with his last two ending up in stoppage defeats. The small talent pool in Argentina has meant that Jurado has faced the same opponent several times. Jurado has faced Fabian Hernan Claro four times, winning twice and drawing the rest. In regards to in-ring ability, Jurado is an honest fighter who leads with his head and comes over the top with overhands. He will attempt to suffocate McCann’s space, but if Pedro Matos struggled to achieve it, then Jurado doesn’t have much hope at all.

Predicted Result: McCann TKO Round 4

Since 2018, Jurado has lost four on the trot, with his last two ending up in stoppage defeats. The Argentinian is an honest fighter who leads with his head and comes over the top with overhands. He will attempt to suffocate McCann’s space, but if Pedro Matos struggled to achieve it, then Jurado doesn’t have much hope at all. McCann’s total control of range and pace will make this a painful nights work for Jurado.

Result: McCann def. Jurado // Decision (referee’s scorecard – 80-72)

Winner ✔️ // Method ❌ // Round ❌

Return to Fight Card

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George Fox (4-0) vs Kamil Sokolowski (10-23-2, 4KO)

Heavyweight (200+)

George Fox

George Fox is the next British prospect to test the banana skin that is Kamil Sokolowski. Yet to fight anyone of note, it is difficult to gauge how far George Fox’s style will take him. A plump Heavyweight, Fox is surprisingly fast-handed and technical for a big boy. Reece Barlow is a very limited opponent, but Fox still showcased fluid boxing. In particular, the lead hook off the jab, switching it from the body to the head, was particularly pleasing to see. Whether Fox would be as willing to be so expansive against a heavy-handed opponent such as Sokolowski, is yet to be seen.

Kamil Sokolowski

There is the potential that Sokolowski could finally be coming to the end of a, particularly punishing career. The Heavyweight journeyman has a trophy cabinet of top scalps, but he looked far off the pace against Solomon Dacres. Granted, the prospect looks to be a freak talent, but Sokolowski was shaken by Dacres power and was unwilling to press into the fray in typical fashion. Fox is a major leap down in competition and could prove to be the final shock victory in a wonderful career to follow.

Predicted Result: Fox Decision

There is the potential that Sokolowski could finally be coming to the end of a, particularly punishing career. The Heavyweight journeyman has a trophy cabinet of top scalps, but he looked far off the pace against Solomon Dacres. Fox is surprisingly fast-handed and technical for a big boy, but we have yet to see him against a live opponent. The Polish banana skin could well collect another shock victory, but as seen against David Adeleye, he will need a stoppage if he doesn’t want to be robbed on the scorecards.

Result: Sokolowski def. Fox // Decision (referee’s scorecard – 79-75)

Winner ❌ // Method ✔️ // Round ✔️

Return to Fight Card

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Karol Itauma (4-0, 2KO) vs Tamas Laska (19-28-1, 10KO)

Light Heavyweight (175)

Karol Itauma

There’s a long list of journeymen for Itauma to blow through before we can predict his ceiling. The Youth Olympic gold medallist has transferred well to the pros. Having free reign to dictate the action on the outside has helped, but Itauma so far has shown well-schooled fundamentals and a surprising pop to his punches.

Tamas Laska

Hungarian, Tamas Laska, is the king of the journeymen. Yet to win on British soil, Laska finds himself on a career fourteen-fight skid. With eleven of those fights ending in stoppages, it’s a miracle how Laska can be medically cleared to fight. The former Bantamweight is killing himself to earn a living, it’s sad to see.

Predicted Result: Itauma TKO Round 2

Itauma has had free reign to dictate the action so far in the pros, but the Youth Olympic gold medallist has so far shown well-schooled fundamentals and a surprising pop to his punches. Yet to win on British soil, Laska finds himself on a career fourteen-fight skid. With eleven of those fights ending in stoppages, it’s a miracle how Laska can be medically cleared to fight. The former Bantamweight is killing himself to earn a living, it’s sad to see.

Result: Itauma def. Laska // TKO Round 2 1:11

Winner ✔️ // Method ✔️ // Round ❌

Return to Fight Card

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Prediction Accuracy

Queensberry: Arthur vs Yarde 2

Winner: 5/6

Method: 4/6

Round: 1/6

2021 Boxing Season

Winner: 103/126

Method: 73/126

Round: 49/126

Boxing Overall

Winner: 159/200

Method: 115/200

Round: 84/200

Takeaway comments: A sad end to Skeete’s return.

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