The World Boxing Organisation (WBO) has mandated a match between Anthony Yarde and Joshua Buatsi for the vacant interim light-heavyweight title. This decision comes in the wake of the postponement of the undisputed title fight between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitrii Bivol, originally scheduled for June 1 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Beterbiev's meniscus injury not only delayed this bout but also precipitated the need for an interim title, creating a potential mandatory challenger for the eventual Beterbiev-Bivol winner.
Both British fighters, Yarde and Buatsi, had been in talks for a fight following their respective victories earlier in the year. However, these discussions had reached an impasse. Ben Shalom, Buatsi’s promoter from BOXXER, expressed continued hope for the matchup, despite starting to look for other potential fights for Buatsi, aged 31. Yarde, 32, is a two-time world-title challenger, adding significant interest to this bout.
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The WBO has set a 10-day deadline for both parties to agree on terms before moving to purse bids. Their statement outlined the conditions and procedures, emphasizing that if an agreement isn't reached within the allocated timeframe, the fight would go to a purse bid, with a minimum bid set at $300,000. During this negotiation period, any involved party can request to initiate the purse bid proceedings.
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