Lyndon 'King' Arthur
Lyndon 'King' Arthur

Boxing betting tips: Lyndon Arthur v Anthony Yarde and undercard


Boxing expert Chris Oliver looks ahead to Saturday's fascinating showdown between Lyndon Arthur and Anthony Yarde, live on BT Sport.

Boxing betting tips: Saturday December 4

2pts Lydon Arthur by decision 7/4 (bet365)

1pt Hamza Sheeraz rounds 5-6 4/1 (Paddy Power, Betfair)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook


Almost a year to the day after their first encounter, LYNDON ARTHUR and Anthony Yarde do it all again at London's Copper Box on Saturday night in a fascinating rematch.

With the likes of Callum Smith, Callum Johnson and Joshua Buatsi also operating at light heavyweight, there are some tremendous domestic contests to be had in the 175lb division, but so far only Arthur and Yarde have got it on out of that quintet and they deserve full credit for doing so again this weekend. Arthur could easily have bided his time with an easier outing and waited for the WBO title shot he is in line to get in 2022, while few could have blamed Yarde for opting for a less tricky opponent who is better suited for his power-packed style. However, thankfully for the fans, they have agreed to answer the many questions their first encounter threw up.

The 11/10 for a repeat for Arthur and 4/5 about revenge for Yarde is in an indication of how tight it was 364 days ago, when the latter started as a huge favourite. In a tactical and tense affair, Arthur was able to control the distance and pace for long periods with better movement and an excellent jab. The Mancunian seemingly nicked many of the early rounds purely with his lead left hand, as Yarde struggled to get in range and land the kind of heavy shots that have seen him stop 20 of his 21 victims to date. The Londoner was able to close the gap as the fight went on but still only had fleeting success, until the final round when he finally upped the pace and wobbled the underdog with something meaningful. Arthur quickly recovered and comfortably saw it out to the final bell, after which he was awarded a split decision that most observers outside of the Yarde camp felt was the right call.

Anthony Yarde was beaten by Lyndon Arthur
Who will come out on top in Saturday's rematch?

Rematches of such close contests usually present plenty of intrigue and this is no exception, with both men convinced they will prevail, with good reasons to believe they can improve this time. The most obvious one for Arthur is the injury to his right arm which meant he boxed virtually the whole of the first fight using just his left hand. Such is the quality of his razor-sharp jab, he was able to control the fight with that lead and he will be relishing the thought of what he can do now with the right hand added to his arsenal.

In Yarde's case, the success he had late on suggests that if he can come out of the blocks quicker then the possibility of stoppage win number 21 is a very real one at 15/8. However, the reason he didn't start too quickly may be because of stamina concerns following his 11th round TKO defeat to Sergey Kovalev in 2019, when the Hackney native gassed late on. If that is the case, then Yarde may not come out of the blocks all guns blazing like his backers are urging him to, and if he does then he runs the risk of fading badly in the latter stages if he can't get Arthur out of there. Also, on the few occasions that Yarde did land his right hand, Arthur took it pretty well and he looks to have a decent enough chin. The 30-year-old Arthur is hard to nail cleanly as he often rides the shots well and takes the sting out of them.

Yarde has the benefit of an outing since their first contest, but how much he gained from that first-round blowout against Alex Theran is questionable. The addition of former British and European super middleweight champion James Cook to Team Yarde is a positive, but the controversial Tunde Ajayi remains head coach and that means we are unlikely to see a major overhaul in the power puncher.

Yarde needs to unsettle Arthur and not allow him to get into a rhythm again. Arthur will almost certainly have to weather a storm or two early doors, with more urgency expected from the heavy-handed favourite, but Yarde could be in trouble if doesn't get rid of his man in the first half of the fight. Arthur is a skilled counterpuncher and may well appreciate a more aggressive Yarde, who could be made to pay as he rushes in.

I believe Arthur may just have his number, having exposed Yarde's slow feet with his slick movement last time and the latter could be frustrated by this tricky customer again. Arthur is fancied to utilise his fast, accurate jab to control the pace and distance for much of the contest and to survive the storm when put under pressure. While Yarde's progress seems to have stalled, Arthur still appears to be getting better and he is fancied to claim another close, but deserved, POINTS WIN at 7/4.

Wine and dine after Sheeraz win

HAMZA SHEERAZ is one of British boxing's brightest prospects and he takes a step up in class against Bradley Skeete in the chief support bout.

Sheeraz, who is a top price of 1/10, hasn't faced anyone of real note in 13 outings to date, but the 22-year-old super welterweight has looked brilliant in beating all of them (nine early) and has shown composure beyond his years. This test appears to have come at just the right time against the experienced Skeete (17/2), who is a former British and Commonwealth champion, though down at welterweight, and he has seen better days. The wheels came off for the Penge man's career in 2018 when twice stopped inside two rounds by Kerman Lejarraga and huge underdog Diego Ramirez and, having boxed only once since, it remains to be seen just how much he has left at 34.

The tall and rangy Sheeraz has great shot variety and carries a good dig on him, so it's no surprise to see another stoppage win from the favourite priced at just 4/11. He doesn't rush his work, though, and is happy to take his time, so it may be a case of slowly breaking his man down rather than looking to hand the underdog another quick stoppage defeat. Once Sheeraz gets him hurt, the writing should be on the wall and there could be some value in the 4/1 about Sheeraz winning in ROUNDS 5-6.

Posted at 1240 GMT on 03/12/21

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