Jared Anderson vs Ryad Merhy Preview

Unbeaten, big-punching heavyweight Jared Anderson (16-0, 15 KO’s) will have his first fight in 2024 against Ryad Merhy (32-2, 26 KO’s) on Saturday, April 13 at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Anderson, the fighting pride of Toledo, Ohio, takes on the Belgian contender in his quest to put his recent out-of-ring troubles behind him and remind the world why he is one of the top heavyweight prospects of the near future. Anderson had an active first eight months of 2023, scoring three wins with a third-round stoppage against George Arias, a near shut-out unanimous decision against Charles Martin, and a round 5 stoppage of Andriy Rudenko.

Merhy is a 5′ 11½ inch former cruiserweight born in the Ivory Coast and now lives in Belgium. Since losing a unanimous decision to Kevin Lerena in South Africa in May last year, Merhy rebounded with his biggest victory, a memorable split decision win in Paris against Olympic gold medalist Tony Yoka, and he will be looking to build on that momentum.

WBC and lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, a sparring partner of Anderson’s, has long been a huge admirer of Anderson’s talent and potential as a future heavyweight champion. Merhy, speaking to Sky Sports, stated he would use that as fuel for motivation: “I’m the future guy who is going to beat the future champion. Jared will lose that fight, and I’ll prove Tyson Fury wrong.

Anderson was once regarded as a future champion and the next great American heavyweight. He still can be. He is undefeated in the professional ranks and has passed every test so far, but his battles with mental health have become very public. Will these struggles prevent him from fulfilling the hopes many previously had for him, or can he stay on the right track against Merhy?

Being a regular fixture on Top Rank undercards, Anderson consistently impressed against decent, early opposition. Then came that fight last July against former IBF champion Charles Martin, who stepped in as a late replacement opponent. Anderson scored a knockdown in the third round. In the fourth, Anderson brought the heat to get the knockout he was looking for, but Martin withstood the pressure. In the fifth, Martin had Anderson hurt and reeling, with Anderson visibly looking up at the clock, holding and looking for the round to finish. Martin hurt Anderson again with a huge left in the dying seconds of the final round. Anderson was able to survive and take a wide decision victory. This was much better for his development towards a potential world title shot than another easy win.

However, there seemed to be other battles going on at the same time. During a Top Rank video clip ahead of the Martin fight, Anderson told Roy Jones Jr: “My toughest fight is outside the ring. My hardest fight so far in life [is] just staying the course and trying to stay true to who I am, but keeping a steady, clear mind to the top. I know I’m good at this and I know I can have fun in this, but this might not just be what completely makes me happy.” In response to Jones’ statement that Anderson would be letting people down if he quit and his obligation to succeed, a teary-eyed Anderson said: “It’s the pressure though,” and he said that he’s only 23.

There have been concerns that Anderson’s reluctance to continue with his career could derail the immense potential the world believes he has. This was before Anderson proceeded to beat Martin and Rudenko, but Anderson was then arrested in November after a traffic stop for speeding led to a firearms charge and accusations of driving under the influence, and then in February, he was in a high-speed police chase, which culminated in Anderson crashing his car. His next court date is April 15.

Anderson is ranked by all four sanctioning bodies, as high as No.4 by the WBO and No.5 with the WBC and IBF, and is viewed by many as a future champion at 24. He has yet to slip up in the ring, and the potential is obviously there, with opportunities sure to arrive as long as he keeps winning. However, if his mind is not in the right place, it may just be a matter of time before there is a slip-up and a tragic unfulfilling of tremendous potential.

Being hailed as a “next great” can understandably bring pressure. Anderson’s extracurriculars and openness towards the sport as a whole have brought a lot of criticism. The extracurriculars are hopefully mistakes that he will learn from, as continuing to behave like he has been doing will prevent him from fulfilling his potential. However, his honesty with himself and the public should be applauded. How his feelings impact his career remains to be seen, but this fight is definitely Anderson’s to lose.

Merhy is one big win away from being considered a title contender, and with victory against Anderson, the biggest win of his career, he can propel himself into title contention. Merhy’s power is undeniable. However, he will need more than mere power to derail Anderson’s rise towards superstardom.

Anderson’s superior athleticism and skill set should secure the W. However, with Anderson, as is always the case at this stage of a promising career, how he looks while winning is really the point of this match-up. With a convincing victory, Anderson can show he truly is a world-class heavyweight. Then, providing he maintains the correct mindset and discipline, the sky’s the limit.