ANTHONY YARDE isn’t afraid to take on Artur Beterbiev after handling guns on the streets of London.
The 31-year-old from Hackney grew up between poverty and crime, with his childhood home in the shadow of the flashy Westfield shopping center in Stratford.
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Stabbings and robberies were rife until boxing helped lift the light-heavyweight ace out of a dangerous environment.
But his life is in danger again tonight if he takes on the 18-0 WBC, IBF and WBO champion Beterbievwho has mistreated all his victims from afar and starves himself three days after a fight to make himself as angry as possible.
Yarde has shown no sign of nerves in the leading up to the Wembley Arena showdown and explains that flying bullets are much scarier than fists.
After staring at the bearded caveman Betterbiev, 38, he revealed: “It’s different. We talk in terms of fear and I’m not afraid of anyone.
“There is no one in this world that I fear because of certain situations I have been in and grew up with.
“I’ve been approached by people with guns, I’ve had loads of guys around me with knives trying to stab me, ready to rob me.
“I’ve been in certain scary situations, your heart is beating and you can’t go out because madness is about to happen. This is me being paid to fight – and I like to fight!
“For someone who comes from where I come from, this is special. I am here to seize the moment.”
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Brave Briton Callum Johnson was bludgeoned within four rounds in 2018 by the Canada-based Chechen, who labeled him a ‘pound-for-pound killer, an animal, a monster’.
The Bond villain accent, bear-like hair and thirst for blood make Beterbiev a terrifying force.
But Yarde thinks he has the chin and features to win this sideburn war.
Under a perfectly groomed mustache, he explained, “There is no one on this planet who can have his record and do what he has done and not have to worry about anything.
“I have seen small films of him, he has done basic things very well. Obviously he hits hard, but the little things he does he does well and he does them repeatedly.
“He has a good engine, but at the same time he gets hit. I’m not one to let you stand there and get hit. It is exciting.
“I admit he has a better beard than me. I can’t grow a beard like that. I have to give myself a trim and grooming before the fight.
Yarde is the 6-1 longshot and even his diehard fans only give him one shot.
But he refuses to dwell on the enormity of the task ahead – and won’t look back at the bashing of Beterbiev and the bookies until he’s tightened the ties.
He said: “I haven’t looked at the odds. There are certain things I don’t pay attention to, it can distract you, it can take your focus away, it can cause you to overcompensate.
“Someone may come and tell you things, but sometimes I’m a little dismissive.
“I’m like ‘ah, keep it to yourself, I don’t care’. I’d rather find out after the fight.
“You can hear something and it will play in your head. It’s just human nature, but certain things don’t matter.
“All that matters to me is that when we both step into the ring, the bell rings, ding, ding, ding and we start shimmying. That is all that matters.”