If yarde wins....

[Steveh583]

Where do u rate it in terms of Brits beating class fighters away from home? On a par with haye Vs mormeck?

[THEBUTCH]

It must rank pretty high, but certainly not on the realms of Stracey or Honeyghan's huge upsets.

The more dramatic the win (i.e. if he comes through after a titanic struggle) the more likely people will rate it higher.

It's a fascinating match. Experience v Youth, proven operator v unknown at world level, unfocussed champion v fresh contender.

It's also one of those fights I won't believe until I actually see it.

[MightyWarrior]

Right up there, top 5 maybe, taking on a P4P in a hostile country like Russia to boot - much higher than Haye Mormeck as Jean was nothing like the level of Kov.

[whiskey]

Kov's a drunkard nowadays though isn't he ?

[tobyh5]

I don’t think he’ll win but if does I’ll not overly rate it tbh.

Kovalev is old, been beaten up and a p1sshead now

[margaret thatcher]

Kov pretty much shutout Alvarez last fight, that's easily a world level win. I don't see how you can sh!t that bad on Kov yet. I bet the same people dumping on Kov were probably yelling for Yarde to 'prove' himself vs the likes of Burton and Johnson.

I don't doubt that Kovy's seen better days, but make no mistake, this would be a very good win for Yarde.

[greg]

..will be a very good scalp on his resume..

[samwbr]

I don’t think he’ll win but if does I’ll not overly rate it tbh.

Kovalev is old, been beaten up and a p1sshead now

It will be a huge night for him if he goes over there and pulls it out of the bag. Puts him right at the top of the division.

[margaret thatcher]

I don’t think he’ll win but if does I’ll not overly rate it tbh.

Kovalev is old, been beaten up and a p1sshead now

What would you rate mate? If he did in Buatsi or Johnson would that prove more?

[ironbeard]

It would be huge. People already belittling what would be a remarkable feat.

[MightyWarrior]

Yeah some of the above are making it sound like a walk in the park, which is well off the mark ~ if the rumours that he drinks heavily are true it doesn’t necessarily mean a hell of a lot, some fighters handle the booze & get serious fight time no problem, Duran Chavez etc

[lillywhite14]

Surpasses both Fury and Joshua’s wins over Wlad imo

[Gnome]

Surpasses both Fury and Joshua’s wins over Wlad imo

Nah, Fury's win was over ten year reigning champ for three of the four main belts. Kovalev has lost three of his last six, two of them by stoppage and only holds the WBO. Joshua was fighting at home, so doesn't really count.

[Steveh583]

Surpasses both Fury and Joshua’s wins over Wlad imo

Not to be 'that guy', but we are talking away wins. AJ won at home vs a semi retired old boy, and almost got done.

[KiwiRider]

It is potentially a great scalp if he can do it.
No matter the rumours of Kov's outside the ring behaviour or his age. You beat him in his back yard and your in the A level at LHW.
No more, no less. Yarde will not be considered world #1, but he would be considered top #5.

[liamlion]

A win would be excellent for Yarde. How impressive a win, will depend on the nature of the victory.

What I find so odd is that Yarde is still so untested at British level and yet is at real risk of being taken into deep waters in this fight. This could end very badly for him.

I think the truth is, nobody really knows what Yarde is capable of. And thus, anything could seemingly happen in this fight. Very intriguing. Looking forward to this.

[lillywhite14]

Surpasses both Fury and Joshua’s wins over Wlad imo

Nah, Fury's win was over ten year reigning champ for three of the four main belts. Kovalev has lost three of his last six, two of them by stoppage and only holds the WBO. Joshua was fighting at home, so doesn't really count.

Ten year reign over an awful division. Kovalev mixed it with far higher calibre of fighter for me.
Germany is a stroll in the park compared to where Yarde is going too.

I also suspect Yarde will have to do it emphatically to get the win. Fury sneaked a boring decision and Joshua, at home granted, had big, big troubles

[Gnome]

Nah, Fury's win was over ten year reigning champ for three of the four main belts. Kovalev has lost three of his last six, two of them by stoppage and only holds the WBO. Joshua was fighting at home, so doesn't really count.

Ten year reign over an awful division. Kovalev mixed it with far higher calibre of fighter for me.
Germany is a stroll in the park compared to where Yarde is going too.

I also suspect Yarde will have to do it emphatically to get the win. Fury sneaked a boring decision and Joshua, at home granted, had big, big troubles

I see your point, but Klitschko was seen as nigh on unbeatable. How many people here picked Fury to beat Wlad?

Don't get me wrong, it will be a hell of an achievement for Yarde, but Fury's win in Düsseldorf was a huge win for a brit overseas that would still top it.

[lillywhite14]

Wlad had already been beaten up and left on the canvas numerous times before Fury beat him. It’s a great win no doubt, and not many here picked him, I remember Horse was adamant he’d win, but he probably did that to be different!
Wlad was on a great run but mostly against terrible opposition and Fury sneaked past him in a stinker.

My main point is the manner of any Yarde win, which will almost certainly have to be emphatic, will top the Wlad one.

It actually mirrors it a touch. Kov is getting on, Yarde is untested so leaves a few question marks. Tyson wasn’t as untested of course but he certainly had a soft run of opponents in the build up to Wlad. I remember thinking he was going in over his head mainly based on the opposition he faced prior to that night in Germany.

I’m looking forward to it

[lillywhite14]

Right up there, top 5 maybe, taking on a P4P in a hostile country like Russia to boot - much higher than Haye Mormeck as Jean was nothing like the level of Kov.

Mormeck was for real though, let’s not forget that. He was undisputed when Haye beat him. Ignore the fractured belts, he and Bell squared off for the main three and the IBF stripped them because they did it again. Cunningham and of course Enzo, were the pin ups for paper titlists at the time

Brilliant win for Haye that was

[margaret thatcher]

TBF to Cunningham he'd beaten Huck, Guillermo Jones, and Wlodarzyck all before Haye left the division, and then added in Braithwaite before Haye fought Valuev. That belt had been stripped but he was legit at cruiser and I would say certainly not a pin-up for paper---much weaker and less accomplished fighters would be better for that role.

Besides, holding a title involves obligations (bar the lineal title lol). Cunningham was the mandatory and he was in with a real shout vs Mormeck himself.

[Nightmare Roy]

Nah, Fury's win was over ten year reigning champ for three of the four main belts. Kovalev has lost three of his last six, two of them by stoppage and only holds the WBO. Joshua was fighting at home, so doesn't really count.

Ten year reign over an awful division. Kovalev mixed it with far higher calibre of fighter for me.
Germany is a stroll in the park compared to where Yarde is going too.

I also suspect Yarde will have to do it emphatically to get the win. Fury sneaked a boring decision and Joshua, at home granted, had big, big troubles

It’ll be a great achievement but doesn’t come close to Fury dethroning Vlad.

[DrDuke]

It will be a very big win for him and a lot of interesting unification opportunities will open for him, but I don't see him winning. I think, Kovalev will give Yarde a lesson.

[Deserter]

It will be a very big win for him and a lot of interesting unification opportunities will open for him, but I don't see him winning. I think, Kovalev will give Yarde a lesson.

I'm in the same camp. If Yarde wasn't British I'd question whether posters would be quite so enthusiastic about his chances of pulling off the upset. Kov is nowhere near as finished as people are making out, as proven by his last outing, while Yarde has never even come close to competing at this level before. He's never faced a world-class jab like Kov's and particularly under McGirt's tutelage I see Kov spearing Yarde with it round after round until he's worn down, demoralized and ready to be taken out - I can see a TKO around the 8th.

[DrDuke]

It will be a very big win for him and a lot of interesting unification opportunities will open for him, but I don't see him winning. I think, Kovalev will give Yarde a lesson.

I'm in the same camp. If Yarde wasn't British I'd question whether posters would be quite so enthusiastic about his chances of pulling off the upset. Kov is nowhere near as finished as people are making out, as proven by his last outing, while Yarde has never even come close to competing at this level before. He's never faced a world-class jab like Kov's and particularly under McGirt's tutelage I see Kov spearing Yarde with it round after round until he's worn down, demoralized and ready to be taken out - I can see a TKO around the 8th.

Yeah, I think Kovalev will box methodically, gradually wearing Yarde down and if he has an opportunity of finishing Yarde, he'll use it.