Former British light heavyweight champion Hosea Burton has never been one to duck a fight. In fact, he’s looking for a fight.
Burton has made his intentions known, calling out undefeated Anthony Yarde, man to man, to his face. The two recently encountered one another during Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder fight week in Los Angeles, California, where Burton was on-hand to support his cousin, Fury.
“Let’s make the fight happen,” Burton told Yarde. “We’re both excited about it. They say I’m not up to you, but let’s get it going man.”
Burton has gone undefeated for two years, since suffering his lone career defeat at the hands of Frank Buglioni, a fight in which he was winning prior to a final round stoppage. Buglioni has recently retired from the sport, leaving Burton to set his sights on Yarde, rather than avenging his defeat first.
Yarde recently scored a knockout victory over Walter Sequeira, October 20 in Brentwood, improving his record to 17-0 with 16 knockouts.
Burton, however, hasn’t been impressed.
“If he’s six foot, I must be six foot nine, because he’s a lot shorter than that,” Burton said of Yarde’s stature. “I would be his first live opponent. Let’s get it on.”
Yarde’s world ranking would play well into Burton’s plans in 2019, which include fighting for a world title after recapturing his domestic gold.
“This would be one of the biggest domestic light heavyweight fights in UK history. Everyone is already placing Yarde amongst the world’s best, but the fact is, he has to get past Hosea,” noted Adam Harris of Athlete Development and Management. “We believe Hosea is the one who’s ready to go after a world title. Let’s have it out and find out who’s right.”
Burton also plans on showcasing his skills in Canada in the new year, following in the footsteps of his cousin Tyson, the lineal heavyweight champion of the world. Both Tyson and his cousin, Hughie Fury, fought in Canada early in their pro careers, and have held training camps in the Great White North as well.
“Some of the best in the world have been coming to Canada to accelerate their careers,” Harris noted, “including Billy Joe Saunders before his most recent fights and, of course, Tyson in the past. We have a special relationship with the country, and the fight scene in Toronto is booming in a way we’ve never seen before. We have no doubt Hosea will be appreciated and find plenty of competition north of the border.”
