Queensberry promoter Frank Warren recently spoke with Fight Hub TV about various subjects, including Anthony Yarde’s imminent title bout against David Benavidez tomorrow, along with his views on several other significant matches coming up. Here’s a selection of his comments below.
Warren on Yarde’s upcoming title shot this weekend
“He needs to win this one; it might be his final opportunity to contend for the title and it’s a hard, hard bout for him. However, I believe it’ll be a challenging match for Benavidez too because Anthony is a true competitor, dangerous, and possesses power. Although Benavidez is 30-0, he’s facing a natural light heavyweight, a strong and fit light heavyweight, and I think it’ll be an exhilarating fight while it lasts.”
“It’s a compelling matchup between the two of them, and I understand why some may predict [a Norman stoppage win]. In that last fight, Haney…[Ramirez] was not really present in that bout, was he? We’ll see. He needs to restore his credibility and get back to winning.”
Warren on Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul
“I’m not particularly fond of it. No, I won’t say I like it, but people will tune in, and I’ll likely watch it myself. It’s one of those inevitable collisions in boxing, isn’t it? On paper, AJ is a considerable favorite, but Jake Paul — who has faced criticism over his numerous opponents — is taking the challenge. He’s a cruiserweight moving up to fight a former two-time world champion, Olympic gold medalist at heavyweight, and it’s a tough decision. But it will generate interest.”
On if he has any worry that AJ’s fight against Paul could derail a potential future fight with Tyson Fury
“Well, you might consider the other side; AJ fought Ngannou, didn’t he?…You know, anything can happen in boxing, but for Jake to win that fight, in my opinion, something significant would need to occur.”
