Anthony Yarde settles Lyndon Arthur rivalry with stinker of a fight to see out trilogy
ANTHONY YARDE settled his Lyndon Arthur rivalry with a stinker of a fight.
Yarde, 33, lost the original 2020 bout on points, contested in a silent and empty room during the Covid-19 lockdown, when Arthur, 33, put on a jab-and-move masterclass.
But, a year later, Yarde leveled the scores when he blitzed the Manchester man inside four one-sided rounds.
Nobody was demanding a rematch and nobody will be watching the replay, after three judges scored the trilogy decider: 115-113, 116-112 and 116-112.
Pink-gloved Arthur stuck to his tried and tested playbook, pinging out an orthodox jab from a safe distance.
Yarde ate a few of them, as he tried to get within range to land a lead left hook or massive right hand.
It was a cagey and even opener that promised to catch fire further down the line.
Arthur landed a stiff jab to the Yarde gut in the second round.
But the Beast from the East beat his chest in a bold act of defiance.
The third round slipped by with minimal action or interest as another undercard bout threatened to go the distance with little eye-catching action.
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Yarde became more dominant in the fourth, with Arthur struggling to hold his ground and land initial jabs or quick counters.
The sixth round was another sleeper, until the final moments when they met in a neutral corner and exchanged a few meaty shots.
After a couple more dull rounds slipped by and the crowd entertained themselves, Yarde landed a couple of uppercuts in the ninth.
But the tenth reverted to turgid type.
Yarde slung a string of left hooks in Arthur’s direction in the dire last few moments and final bell was a gift from the boxing gods.