WASSERMAN have added Lyndon Arthur to their stable and bring the Manchester light-heavyweight back from the first loss of his career in Bolton on Saturday night. He meets Argentine veteran Walter Gabriel Sequeira (25-9-1) over 10 rounds at the University of Bolton Stadium on a show screened by Channel Five.
Arthur switched promoters from Queensberry after Anthony Yarde (21-2) overpowered him in four rounds in their rematch last December. Twelve months earlier, Arthur had defied pre-fight odds of 9/2 to outpoint Yarde on a split decision and move closer to a shot at a sanctioning body title.
Arthur said ahead of the rematch: “I don’t think I should have to have this fight again.” Having beaten Yarde, he felt should be calling the shots.
But there was a rematch clause in the contract and Yarde was never going to wait for Arthur to challenge for major honours before enforcing it, as the Mancunian wished.
Arthur wouldn’t be the first fighter to become disillusioned by the boxing business, but the switch to Wasserman and a headlining fight on terrestrial television appears to have refreshed the 31-year-old, who’s trained by cousin Pat Barrett, the former British and European super-lightweight champion.
Hardcore fans may remember Sequeira sharing a ring with Yarde. That was in Brentwood in October, 2018 and Sequeira was beaten in four rounds.
Only 5ft 8ins tall, Sequeira was way too small to trouble Yarde, was dropped three times and stopped. Arthur will also tower over him. He is a lofty 6ft 2ins and is rumoured to be tight at 175lbs.
Sequeira has boxed nine times since the Yarde fight, winning four, losing four and drawing the other. Of those four losses, three have come inside the distance. Arthur can crack, is a good finisher when in the mood, and Sequeira is now 35 years old.
This could be over early. Arthur has nine wins inside two rounds, Sequeira has 10 wins inside three.
Sequeira has won Argentinian titles and went into his fight with Avni Yildirim in February, 2016, ranked in the top 15 by one of the sanctioning bodies.
He lost that fight 117-111 on all three cards, but didn’t take many backward steps, was competitive. Yildirim has subsequently been stopped by Chris Eubank Jnr, Anthony Dirrell and Saul “Canelo’” Alvarez, and outpointed by Jack Cullen.
Arthur has said he wants a knockout – and don’t be surprised if he gets it. He proved himself to be a ruthless finisher on his climb into championship class and if Sequeira takes the fight to him, as he surely will, he’s likely to run into trouble.
Arthur can win by the halfway stage.
The clash between Gavin Gwynne and Craig Woodruff for the former’s British and Commonwealth lightweight titles is sure to be much more competitive.
The Welshmen have sparred each other and it promises to be a very watchable fight. The 32-year-old champion from Merthyr Tydfil is a front-foot fighter, while Newport’s Woodruff likes to stand off and box.
Both have Rocky stories.
Gwynne won major honours at the third attempt. He was competitive in losses to Joe Cordina (9-0) and James Tennyson (26-3) and wasn’t fancied to beat Belfast’s Sean McComb (11-0) for the vacant Commonwealth title last February. But by the last minute of the seventh, McComb was badly bloodied and couldn’t take anymore. Gwynne had hurt him with body shots and broken his heart.
That is the Gwynne way. He says that on a trip to California he was nicknamed “The Merthyr Mexican” and his fitness levels have improved over the last 18 months since he quit his job as a carpenter. Gwynne added the vacant British title with a points win over Liverpool’s Luke Willis (11-0) in April.
Woodruff has lost the big ones in his 12-6 career so far. He was out for more than four years after three straight defeats, to quality operators Mitch Buckland (5-0), Matin J Ward (7-0) and Luke Campbell (5-0).
He has won seven of nine since returning, both losses coming up at 140lbs.
Last time out, Woodruff, now 30, outpointed Dundee southpaw Ronnie Clark (21-7-2) over 10, but we don’t think he will be able to keep Gwynne off him and go for the champion to triumph by late stoppage.