Frank Warren has claimed that Anthony Yarde turned down fights with both Dmitry Bivol and Joshua Buatsi.
Warren and Yarde appear at odds over their contractual situation, with Yarde now set to fight on a BOXXER card next Saturday, against an opponent still to be announced.
Warren, who promoted the Londoner from his professional debut, has remained coy over the situation, but now claims the 33-year-old turned down fights with Joshua Buatsi and Dmitry Bivol, who faces Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed light heavyweight championship in Riyadh on Saturday.
“As I said, he had to comply with his contract and that’s happened,” Warren told Box Nation.
“And providing they comply with the contract, there won’t be a problem.
“It’ll take its course.
“He was offered two really good fights. One against Buatsi, which we agreed terms with him at the time and also against Bivol, but he declined to take them.”
Yarde is set to end a period of 10 months out of the ring when he returns on the undercard of the super lightweight clash between Adam Azim and Ohara Davies at the Copper Box Arena.
Yarde will be keeping a close eye on the outcome of this Saturday’s bout, given he is the number one contender to Beterbiev’s WBO crown.
Matchroom Chairman Eddie Hearn, who like Warren is in Riyadh for Beterbiev vs Bivol, says his understanding was that the ‘The Beast From The East’ was not a free agent and therefore he did not approach him.
“Contractually, our interpretation of the deal was he’s not a free agent,” Hearn told The Stomping Ground.
“Other people’s interpretation of the information they’ve received from Queensberry is to go out and sign him.
“Ours was legally he wasn’t available to sign.”
BOXXER promoter Ben Shalom and Yarde’s manager, Tunde Ajayi did not reply to messages from proboxing-fans.com seeking comment.
