Unbeaten heavyweight contender Jared Anderson will return to action on April 23, ESPN reports, the 24 year old to face former WBA regular cruiserweight champ Ryad Merhy in Corpus Christi. “Real Big Baby” Anderson, 16-0(15) was last seen stopping Andrii Rudenko in August of last year.
Merhy of The Ivory Coast, is currently 32-2(26) and he is coming off a December points win over Tony Yoka. Merhy, who moved up to the heavyweight division after losing his WBA cruiserweight strap, was discussed as a potential opponent for Daniel Dubois, but he instead gets Anderson.
And while some fans may feel disappointed at the way Anderson is not stepping up as far as facing a bigger name, this one could prove to be an interesting fight. Both guys can punch, while huge things are expected of Anderson.
For some people, Bob Arum for one, Anderson is the next big star and champion of the heavyweight division. And so far, Anderson has impressed plenty of fans. This isn’t to say Anderson has looked unbeatable, far from it. Anderson is still learning stuff and he was given a pretty stern test by “Prince” Charles Martin when they fought some months back.
Some fans feel one thing Anderson needs to do is work on and improve his defensive game. That said, most big punchers can be guilty of leaving themselves open when looking to inflict damage. But might Merhy, one of the most experienced guys Anderson will have been in with thus far, be able to exploit any holes he finds in Anderson’s defence?
This fight could well prove lively and a distance fight does not look too likely. Anderson has to be the pick to win, but Merhy could be a dangerous proposition for him on April 13. Some fans will wonder why Anderson has been out of action for eight months since his last fight, and could some rust issues even be a factor?