By Chris Glover
York Hall, London - For the WBO Intercontinental and European Light Heavyweight titles, Anthony Yarde 15-0 (14KOs) stopped Tony Averlant 26-9-2 (5KOs) in seven rounds of action.
Averlant's corner retired him at the end of round seven.
The fight began with Yarde being the aggressor as he looked to slow down his French opponent, working well on the inside. Averlant replied with some good jabs and straight right hands of his own but it was Yarde in control in the early rounds.
Averlant was in London to win however, as he continued to land some sharp right hands on the WBO number 3 Anthony Yarde. Despite this, Yarde worked well for the vast majority of all the rounds as he controlled the pace and worked well behind his jab.
Yarde's breakthrough come in round six as he landed an excellent left hook to the body off the ropes, sending his French counterpart to the canvas. The East London champion piled on the pressure, sending Averlant to the canvas again after unloading an onslaught to both head and body. Averlant made the count once again but was lucky to survive the round.
Round seven featured a similar script, however, nothing came back from Averlant and Anthony Yarde put his combination punches together with absolute ease, forcing the Averlant corner to withdraw the Frenchman at the end of round number seven.
Also in action, for the Southern Area Heavyweight title, Daniel Dubois 7-0 (7KOs) continued his streak of knockouts with a third round stoppage of previously undefeated DL Jones 8-1-1.
Referee Bob Williams jumped in to stop the contest after 2.23 of round number three as DL Jones slumped to the canvas after taking a barrage of massive hooks and uppercuts to the head from 'Dynamite' Daniel Dubois.
In other action, heavyweight prospect Nathan Gorman 12-0 (10KOs) continued his winning run with a knockout of overmatched Morgan Dessaux 4-2 (4KOs).
Anthony Yarde was taken to the seventh round for the first time in his career.
Anthony Yarde retained his WBO European and intercontinental light-heavyweight titles by beating Tony Averlant.
Yarde, 26, was in control from the start, and Averlant was retired by his corner at the end of the seventh round at London's York Hall.
Yarde, unbeaten in his 15 fights, sent Averlant to the canvas with a body shot in round six which did the damage.
"We're looking at the belts like they're meat and we all want a feast," Yarde said.
ANTHONY YARDE retained his WBO light-heavyweight belts by handing French challenger Tony Averlant a brutally hard Brexit.
The European and Intercontinental champ dropped the brave challenger twice in the sixth round with sickening shots that were certain to sour cross-Channel relations.
Reuters Anthony Yarde demolished Tony Averlant at York Hall
And the referee stopped in to call a stop to the one-sided battering before the 7th was allowed to start.
Yarde stalked the challenger around the ring, the beast from East London was giving away a few inches in height but dictating the fight from the first bell.
The 26-year-old threw a few lead left-hooks that landed and reddened the face of the visitor who seemed to be getting most of his tactical guidance from a bellowing Frenchman stood in the crowd - as opposed to his corner.
Averlant did land a crisp one-two in the second a man with his physique looked unlikely to trouble the ripped local.
Reuters Yarde, right, dropped his challenger twice in a brutal sixth round at York Hall
Reuters Yarde and Averlant share a photo after the bout
Reuters Yarde, 26, should be able to step up and fight an opponent who has been in world title bouts next
Reuters Yarde bossed his opponent for six rounds in a one-sided contest
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Yarde had his rival running laps around the ring in the 3rd, testing his stamina more stringently than his chin.
A straight right from Yarde in the final second of the 3rd sent blood spurting from Averlant’s nose but the 29 wins on his record must have convinced his corner to leave him in the one-sided showdown.
Averlant must have got a warning from his corner before the fifth because he came out swinging and had the few visiting fans cheering.
But Yarde turned the tables and dropped Averlant twice in the 6th round with shots to the body and head before the referee called the contest off.
