Jared Anderson stated that he’s gunning for the world titles after beating Ryad Merhy (who even is this guy?) last Saturday night.
The unbeaten heavyweight Anderson (17-0, 15 KOs) feels ready to face the belt after his win over Merhy (32-3, 26 KOs) at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. #4 WBO, #5 IBF, #5 WBC, and #13 WBA-ranked Anderson is going to have to pump the brakes for a second.
A Long Wait for Anderson
Bob Arum of Top Rank might not be able to pull strings for the 24-year-old Anderson quite this early, as WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has two fights lined up against IBF/WBA/WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk and then another two against Anthony Joshua.
The way things look, Jared Anderson might need to wait until 2027 or 2028. Fury’s matches will consume all of next year and 2026 as well. If Fury is serious about wanting a fourth fight against Deontay Wilder, it could extend the wait time even further for Anderson.
Poor Jared might be collecting his pension by the time he gets his title shot. I think it’s good that he said recently that he’s fine with making his fortune without ever fighting for a world title because that may be his reality.
Time to Ditch the Tomato Cans
Anderson needs to insist that Top Rank stop matching him against subpar opposition and that he only put him in against fighters that can increase his star power.
Top Rank did not need to use Ryad Merhy or Andriy Rudenko as Anderson’s last two opponents. That didn’t help him progress as a fighter, and fans didn’t see those performances from Anderson, thinking he was the greatest fighter ever.
Boxing fans aren’t idiots. They don’t want to waste their Saturday nights watching Anderson spar with no-hopers with zero ability, who have no business being inside the ring with a fighter like him. The last two fights for Anderson haven’t been remotely sporting.
Fans are savvier now, and they’re not easily tricked by promoters, who match fighters against cans in showcase fights to give the false impression that they’re great. They can’t do that anymore like they used to.
Anderson’s Message is Clear
“I want all of them. If I’m ranked with you and your name is near mine, we can get it cracking, man,” Anderson chirps to ESPN following his win over Ryad Merhy last Saturday night.
“We’re coming to knock everybody off. We’re coming for those titles, and we’re coming to f****** win.”