Anthony Yarde returns this Saturday as the BT Sport cameras arrive in Brentwood, Essex for a decent card packed with talent. There’s a British Title fight on the bill, as well as two unbeaten prospects facing off. Here’s my preview and predictions for the main contests.
Anthony Yarde (16-0, KO15) v Walter Gabriel Sequeira (21-4, KO15) – 10 Rounds, Light Heavyweight
Londoner Anthony Yarde will hope that his fight this Saturday with the rugged Argentine Walter Sequiera will be the last obstacle in the way of progression in the professional ranks. Frustratingly, most of Yarde’s domestic rivals reside under the promotional banner of Eddie Hearn and Matchroom, while Yarde’s platform is under Hall of Fame promoter, Frank Warren. This means with the likes of British and Commonwealth Champion, Callum Johnson, as well as fighters such as Frank Buglioni, Hosea Burton and Joshua Buatsi all being guided by Hearn, makes potential match ups for domestic Titles difficult to make. Yarde has instead gone down the tried and tested Warren route with the WBO, picking up the spurious European and Intercontinental Titles, allowing him to gain a lofty ranking with the organisation in the process.
The only man to take Yarde the distance thus far is Stanislavs Makarenko, who achieved the feat in just Yarde’s second professional outing back in June 2015, dropping a 40-35 decision over four rounds. Yarde’s fifteen other opponents have failed to hear the final bell, but they have mostly been limited or faded continental opposition. Nikola Sjekloca is probably the best win name-wise on Yarde’s ledger, a fourth round stoppage win in December last year. Tony Averlant retired in seven rounds in February, the same man who Joshua Buatsi impressively blasted away inside a round last weekend. In Yarde’s last outing, Dariusz Sek was stopped in seven in June. If it’s a test the fans are seeking for Yarde, then Walter Sequiera is highly unlikely to provide it. He has only fought once outside his native Argentina, losing 117-111 on all three cards to former Chris Eubank Junior foe, Avni Yildirim in February 2016. He has lost three more times during his six and a half year career. He is currently on a four fight winning streak, three by knockout.
Prediction
This should be another typical Yarde fight, where he will control the action, and eventually overwhelm his opponent into submission. I think he can get Sequiera out of there before halfway. I’d like to then see Yarde then pushed towards the European Title, currently held by Dominic Boesel.
Best Of The Rest
An interesting match up takes place on the card for the vacant British Welterweight Title, and its a London derby. Bradley Skeete has relinquished the Title to allow it to be contested in Brentwood. Skeete features on the bill in a tick over fight. Wembley’s Gary Corcoran (18-2, KO8) takes on “The Pexican” Johnny Garton (22-1-1, KO9) of Peckham for the coveted Lonsdale Belt. Corcoran will start as favourite, and rightly so, as only ten months ago, he challenged for a World Title. A professional since 2011, “Hellraiser” Corcoran came to the fore in July 2015, widely beating the previously unbeaten Rick Godding over ten at the Wembley Arena. He followed that up by taking Rick Skelton’s “0” two months later with another points victory. Decent domestic operator Danny Butler was outscored in March 2016, setting Corcoran on a collision course for a grudge match against the Welshman, Liam Williams for the British Title at Super Welterweight in the summer of the same year. The needle carried on to the fight itself, Williams eventually getting the better of Corcoran with an eleventh round stoppage win. After a comeback win, Corcoran was back in business, taking another unbeaten record as he squeezed past Larry Ekundayo in a cracking contest. This set up a surprise December 2017 shot at the then WBO Welterweight Champion, Jeff Horn in Brisbane, Australia. Corcoran was outclassed in another eleventh round defeat. He returned in June in a fifth round stoppage win over Victor Ray Ankrah in Belfast.
Corcoran holds significantly more big fight experience than his opponent on Saturday night. Johnny Garton’s best win would possibly be his English Title defence win over Tyler Goodjohn in September 2016, a unanimous ten round points triumph. Gartons only loss was in a 2014 edition of Prizefighter, Sam Eggington stopping him in two rounds in the quarter finals. His only other blemish came a year later, drawing with Martin Welsh over ten for the Southern Area Title. He put this right one fight later, stopping Welsh in six rounds. Other than this it’s been limited opposition for Garton, and he will have to be at his very best to beat Corcoran. Corcoran is susceptible to cuts, so I expect Garton to be impressive, but I feel Corcoran will have too much for Garton, and expect him to score a late stoppage win.
A great piece of match making, and willingness by the fighters to fight, sees Zak Chelli (4-0, KO2) meet Umar Sadiq (3-0, KO1). There is no real loser in this one as they are both at the start of their careers. I favour Chelli to come through on points.
There are places on the card for Heavyweight hope, Nathan Gorman (13-0, KO11), Super Bantam, Lucien Reid (7-0, KO4), and Boy Jones (17-1-1, KO8) at Lightweight.
