Jared Anderson is one of the most exciting heavwyeights on the planet, in fact he might be THE most exciting.
Along with sensational British youngster Moses Itauma, the 24-year-old American is seen by many as the future of boxing’s marquee weight class.
Anderson has showed off speed, power and freakish athletic talents in building a 16-0 pro record with 15 of those victories coming inside distance.
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In recent weeks though his career threatened momentarily to come off the rails as he hit legal issues in America. Per reports from ESPN, police claimed he led then on a six-plus-mile car chase with speeds exceeding 130mph. He was subsequently charged with third-degree felony fleeing a police officer.
Despite all of that drama swirling around him, Anderson is still counting down to his next bout against Belgian Ryad Merhy (32-2) next Saturday night (April 13) in Corpus Christi, Texas. The bout will air live on ESPN in the United States, and on Sky Sports in the UK.
Anderson’s Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum has spoken in detail about his potential superstar’s recent issues, and clearly believes that he will grow from the experience.
Arum on Jared Anderson issues
He told BoxNation: “He’s a young kid, good-looking kid, and what he did was wrong, racing cars and so forth. A lot of these kids do that. But it wasn’t like he was beating people up in a bar or stealing things. He was behaving the way some 23-year-old, 24-year-old kids do – doing stupid things. So now thank God he’s lost his driver’s licence so he can’t get in a car.”
Arum spoke in glowing terms about the personality of his heavyweight ‘Big Baby’, adding: “He’s a really nice kid, a really fun kid with a big smile – he has a big test against this Belgian fighter that has a great resume, Merhy.”
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Having worked with the likes of the great Muhammad Ali in days gone by, Arum should know a great heavyweight when he sees one. And he is predicting a very golden future for Anderson.
“I believe that given the rest of this year and next year, that by 2026 Jared will be fighting for the heavyweight championship of the world and be the next great heavyweight. He’s a lovely young man with a great personality and it will be great for boxing.”
