Days after Zuffa Boxing 05 took place at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, NV, on Paramount+, Robert Meriwether II, father of lightweight prospect Robert Meriwether III (10-1, 4 KOs), spoke to FightsATW to clear up a comment his son made that was taken out of context by another media platform. Additionally, Meriwether II provided some insight into his son’s first loss and what’s next for his 21-year-old lightweight.
It’s no secret that Zuffa Boxing has drawn a line in the sand against the sanctioning organizations, aiming to make its belt and the Ring Magazine title the only recognized titles within its promotion. So when Meriwether III made the comment regarding the titles, WBN (World Boxing News) assumed that the fighter was taking the same stance as their promoter. The following is an excerpt from the story they published on April 6.
“Most fighters still measure progress through the four sanctioning bodies. Meriwether’s words made it sound as if he had no interest in any of them. The Zuffa Boxing fighter stated his focus was limited to two prizes. “I know I’m going to have a great legacy,” Meriwether said. ‘The Ring belt, the Zuffa belt. It’s all I’m worried about.’
Sunday’s defeat as a -2400 favorite quickly placed that stance under scrutiny. Meriwether had positioned himself outside the usual pathway while still early in his career, only to suffer his first loss before either of those goals came into view.
Meriwether is nowhere near title level and the assumption he’d eventually get there is no longer guaranteed. The irony is that if Zuffa ever drops him, Meriwether will have to go back to the route he snubbed.”
According to Meriwether III’s father, the comment was taken out of context.
“It was taken way out of context,” Meriwether II told FightsATW. “You have a kid who got a chance with a company, and what he said was that he was worried about the Zuffa belt and Ring belt, as that’s who he is signed with. From his standpoint, he is loyal to the company that gave him an opportunity. He didn’t say anything about any of the other belts. He’s just worried about those belts (Zuffa and Ring) as of right now.”
One thing that cannot be taken out of context is his son’s loss to Tony Hirsch Jr., who was a notable underdog in Sunday’s fight. Although he has not watched the fight back with his son, they have discussed it since it was Meriwether III’s first pro loss.
“We talked about it. We didn’t look at the fight. We talked about what we did wrong. It was a good fight. In my opinion and the opinion of others who know my son, he could have boxed circles around that kid. But he went in there with a mindset to get the kid out of there.
“He took his first loss pretty hard the first day. After he sat back and thought about it, we talked about it. He said, ‘You’re right, Dad. I need to get back to being myself. I can’t please everybody.’ That’s what made him who he was in the amateurs. He was a boxer, and that’s who he is.”
Although Meriwether III initially took the loss hard, his father made it clear that he himself was to blame, especially since he saw issues in training camp that should have been addressed then but weren’t. It’s a learning experience for both the trainer and the fighter as they seek to avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future.
Speaking of the future, Zuffa Boxing remains committed to Meriwether III, as they still have a ways to go on their four-year deal. After the loss, Zuffa executives told Meriwether III and his father that they would get him back in the ring in July.
“He’s going to take a few days off and will be back in the gym soon. Zuffa is behind us, and they’re bringing us back in there in July. As soon as the fight was over, they told us that. That’s one reason he remains loyal to the company since they have been loyal to him.”
Meriwether III is only 21, and Sunday’s loss doesn’t seem to be the end of the road for him as he returns this summer. What he needs to avoid is back-to-back losses, so the fight in July will be the first time where there’s more pressure to perform than any other time. Can Meriwether III get back on track? We’re only a few months away from finding out.
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