I’ve seen people shot and stabbed but I’m destined to make it
At the very back of Peacock Gym in Canning town, London, beyond the treadmills and heavy- chained punch bags being pummelled by part-time dreamers, Anthony Yarde sips coffee nonchalantly from a polystyrene cup.
So far he’s had 11 fights. So far there have been 11 wins and 10 knockouts, the last being the violent dispatch of Chris hobbs, floored six times in four savage rounds for the Southern Area light-heavyweight title in May.
Next up, a WBO european light- heavyweight title shot tonight against Richard Baranyi in London’s Copper Box. the 25- year- old Briton and his trainers, tunde Ajayi and Ade Olayinka, are plotting something grand from these humble surroundings.
Yarde jokes around before training. he steps into the ring and glides across a faded red canvas. his broad shoulders are taut. he moves languidly, chin tucked into his left shoulder.
then, a rapid right hook bursts on to a foam pad dangled in the air. Slowly the energy builds. two right hooks. Bam. Bam. Left hook. Work the body. Weave, then a right at frightening speed. Bam. Bam.
the intensity increases. the demands for harder, quicker blows come more quickly from Olayinka, part pad-partner, part hype man. ‘We don’t get weak! We get deep! turn up, show up, blow up!’
Ajayi, who has spent 20 years training fighters, says: ‘Anthony is a gift. he was born special. he has natural abilities.’
From ringside, Yarde’s former amateur coach and ABA champion tony Cesay says the same. Cesay coached the young fighter through a short amateur career of just 12 fights.
‘When he was fighting for me I used to have to shout at him to keep his shirt on at weigh-ins because when his opponents saw his physique, they suddenly pulled out of the fight. I couldn’t get him a fight because they were all scared of him.’
Raised in Stratford and Forest Gate, Yarde was brought up by a family of women including his mother and two sisters. ‘One part of Forest Gate is the ghetto,’ he says. ‘they call it the hood. I’ve seen so many unnecessary things. Another part is elderly people who keep themselves to themselves.
‘Growing up, everyone said one moment I was nice, then I’d switch in a split second. I had a short temper. I still have one and when I lose it, it’s bad. It comes from what you see when you’re young. Sometimes it builds from being scared. Once you lose it once, you find comfort in losing your temper. It’s embedded in you.
‘When I was in year seven (aged 11) there were two guys in my school. It started off with them asking if they could borrow a pound, which I gave them. It got to the point where every day they were coming to me and saying, “Where’s my pound?” At one point I just went, “No”.
‘they grabbed me up and I was so scared, I didn’t say anything and they took the pound. that moment molested my brain.
‘they were the year above and left my school before me. I saw them a year later. they shouted, “Where’s my pound, bruv?” and started laughing.
‘I lost my temper. One of them boxing at that time but didn’t think I would actually do it. At that time in my life I was angry and had a temper, but I know how to control it a lot better now. that’s why I always tell people that boxing saved my life.’
Ajayi would give him the focus he required to unleash his potential. they met in 2012 and began training together. Yarde had begun boxing in earnest a year earlier at 19 and during his amateur career he followed in the footsteps of Anthony Joshua by winning the haringey Box Cup in 2013.
Now working with promoter Frank Warren, no man has survived more than four rounds with Yarde since they began their journey together.
Forest Gate hasn’t changed much since Yarde left to pursue his destiny. ‘I saw things that happened for no reason, at parties when something small starts and that ends in a stabbing,’ he explains.
‘It’s just disgusting. It’s gruesome. It sounds like someone is being punched but there’s a wet noise as well. So it’s really x-rated. I’ve seen people shot at. I’ve been close to a situation where a gang of boys have come by and they just let off a load of gun shots. ‘I saw a boy in the year above get stabbed by a gang and one of the guys chased me. he pulled out a bat. Because I was fast in school, I ran. they hammered one boy and stabbed another in his legs. It was crazy. But I always said to myself, “I’ve got a good heart and I’m destined for something — believe in God and nothing will happen to you”.’
The 25-year- old speaks of God, energy and peace moments after his eyes light up at the notion of bloodlust when he says: ‘I’m like a lion going after a gazelle in the ring.’ he continues: ‘everyone goes through fear at one point. It’s about conquering that fear. But I was more scared of losing my temper, because the few times I did that it didn’t go too well. So that’s the main thing I work on now — being in control.’ In doing that, boxing offered him the salvation he required. Yarde has been compared to Mike tyson for his knockout ability. Warren says he’s
headbutted me on the side of my head. I saw red, I went ballistic. I punched the first one and he dropped on the floor. the other one I kicked as he went to try and pick up a brick. ‘I was stomping on one of them and the police were called. And when they realised it was two boys and just me and that they were older than me, they just sent me home. ‘ I always wanted to be the strongest in my school, in my class, everywhere. I don’t care if I’m in year seven, I want to be the strongest. I was thinking about Nigel Benn for a new generation. ‘When I was younger I used to imitate things so well,’ he says. ‘I used to imitate (wrestler) the Rock. I used to imitate Stone Cold Steve Austin. ‘Same with boxing. I see Floyd ( Mayweather), watch certain things he does and imitate it. James toney, Roy Jones, Mike tyson, Lennox Lewis. All these great fighters, I see certain things they do and imitate them. But ultimately, I’m just Anthony Yarde.’
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