We’re OK with our lights, but we need fire...

THE light heavyweight division is fizzing – the level of domestic talent exceptional.

We have Joshua Buatsi (below, top), Lyndon Arthur and Anthony Yarde (above), Callum Johnson (below, fourth), Craig Richards and now Callum Smith (below, bottom) moving up.

Having lost to Canelo at super middle, Smith was great at light heavy on the Joshua/Usyk undercard. The knockout was spectacular.

Richards (below, second-bottom) has been in our new gym with his coach Peter Sims and looks great.

Johnson has recovered well from his defeat to IBF champion Artur Beterbiev three years ago, three straight wins since.

Yarde is the odd one. He has talent but doesn’t seem to be progressing. He was on top against Sergey Kovalev two years ago but an ageing Krusher turned it around. Yarde is a heavy puncher – he is very good when he is aggressive but he has this mode that is neither forward nor back. He waits for his rival.

He needs to fight on the front foot and throw more punches. You get that by increasing the tempo in sparring. When you get to world level these guys can fight at pace for 12 rounds. I’m not sure Yarde is able to do that.

The rematch with Lyndon Arthur announced for December has become critical for him. If Yarde wants to get back to world level he has to get past him.

Arthur is very good, as he showed in his shock splitdecision win against Yarde last December. Great jab, good pace.

Yarde did not hit the accelerator that night. He could not up the ante and Arthur controlled the fight with his jab. Arthur was hurt but used his skills to keep the fight at long range.

The rematch was initially set for October 9 to lead off the cross-Atlantic fight night ahead of Tyson Fury’s trilogy bout with Deontay Wilder.

In the end the proposed venue in Manchester could not be secured. The Copper Box in December will be rammed, demonstrating the pulling power of a top class domestic tear-up.

Both have fought and won once since meeting at the empty Church House venue in Westminster. As the WBO mandatory challenger to Joe Smith Jnr, Arthur will not want to surrender it. Yarde can’t afford to post a third career loss. It promises to be some night.