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via Getty
PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES – OCTOBER 19, 2019: Artur Beterbiev of Russia (L front) poses with the IBF and WBC belts as he celebrates victory in a light heavyweight IBF-WBC world title unification boxing fight against Oleksandr Gvozdyk of Ukraine (not pictured) at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States; right front: US boxing promoter Robert (Bob) Arum. Valery Sharifulin/TASS (Photo by Valery SharifulinTASS via Getty Images)
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via Getty
PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES – OCTOBER 19, 2019: Artur Beterbiev of Russia (L front) poses with the IBF and WBC belts as he celebrates victory in a light heavyweight IBF-WBC world title unification boxing fight against Oleksandr Gvozdyk of Ukraine (not pictured) at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States; right front: US boxing promoter Robert (Bob) Arum. Valery Sharifulin/TASS (Photo by Valery SharifulinTASS via Getty Images)
Artur Beterbiev retained his IBF, WBC & WBO light heavyweight titles in a tough match against Anthony Yarde on Saturday night at the OVO Arena in London, England. According to the scorecard, Beterbiev was losing the fight through seven rounds before coming out strong in the eighth round. The scores were 68-65, 67-66 for Yarde, and 67-66 for Beterbiev. However, Yarde would only sporadically go on the attack and was mostly under fire from Beterbiev.
Judge Jun Bae Lim gave a score of 68-65. According to him, Yarde was up 5-2 after the end of seven rounds. When Fans saw the scorecard, all hell broke loose. People started questioning the fair play of the judges. Many were happy that the fight ended in a KO, or Beterbiev would have lost the match.
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Beterbiev’s Power Proves Too Much for Yarde in London Showdown
Artur Beterbiev had a tough match against Anthony Yarde on Saturday night. The fight took place at the OVO Arena in London, England. Beterbiev certainly struck Yarde hard, especially at the beginning and end of each round.
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Yarde tried to move around in the first three rounds to avoid Beterbiev’s pressure. But did not have enough gas in his tank to keep this up for 12 rounds. Beterbiev trapped Yarde against the ropes and hit him with punches to the head and body. In the eighth round, Beterbiev landed a powerful right that knocked Yarde down, ending the fight.
Read More: UFC’s Joe Rogan Picks Next Fight for Artur Beterbiev After Anthony Yarde Knockout
Fans Question Judges’ Scores in Controversial Fight
Boxing fans were pretty supportive of Yarde after the fight. But most of the fans believed that it was only natural for Artur Beterbiev to win. According to some, Artur dominated most of the fight, so it was not at all surprising that he won. Jake Paul also congratulated Artur on his victory.
However, fans lost it when, Micheal Benson, posted the picture of the scorecards. Many felt relieved that the fight ended with a K.O. They were worried that if the fight didn’t end in such a fashion, the scorecards could have potentially caused Beterbiev the match. One user wrote that he could consider Yarde winning 2-3 rounds at max. While Yarde put up a great fight, the scorecards according to some, are unjustified.
I gave Yarde 2 rounds, 3 rounds max. Yarde put up a great fight but cmon these scorecards are a joke. Yarde is world class though
— David Shin (@Ds49204) January 28, 2023
One fan wrote that he believed Beterbiev was winning 6-1, and that the judges were biased.
Bollocks. Beterbiev was winning 6-1. These biased judges are a joke.
— Asim (@AsimH1995) January 28, 2023
Another person claimed that most of the scorecards would be in the favor of the English boxer when fighting in England. He claimed that the judges tend to not leave the fight in their hands.
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Most of score cards would be like that when fighting in England 🏴 against English boxer . Don’t leave the fight in their hands
— Abissai Lesufi (@Abissai12) January 29, 2023
Overall, it was a hard-fought match, but Beterbiev’s superior power and strategy ultimately led to his victory. Yarde put up a good fight and had his moments, but he couldn’t match Beterbiev’s pressure and consistency. The judges’ scores were indeed controversial, but ultimately, Beterbiev’s knockout in the eighth round made the outcome clear.
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What are your thoughts on the judges’ scorecard? Let us know in the comments.
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