Heavyweight Fight Recap
Undefeated 16-0 heavyweight Jared “Big Baby” Anderson returned to the ring for the first time since August on Saturday. His opponent at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas was the 32-2 Ryad Merhy. The fight, which was scheduled for ten, was the main event of an ESPN broadcast Top Rank card. The truth was that the favorite Anderson needed to impress in order to reinvigorate a career that had been tarnished by a felony charge stemming from a high speed chase with police in March. An upset loss to Merhy might prove to be devastating.
Anderson was aggressive right from the opening bell. Merhy, however, remained rather inactive throughout the first round, perhaps in a quest to bide his time. Meanwhile, Anderson proceeded to attack his man by firing off a long jab. The second saw Merhy zip off a powerful left. Yet he spent the vast majority of the round trying to avoid Anderson’s fists. So inert was Merhy in the early part of the third that it was worth wondering if he would do anything meaningful at all. Anderson, on the other hand, continued to work on Merhy with straight, solid shots.
As the fourth round unfolded, Merhy's reluctance to throw punches became more apparent. Commentator Tim Bradley even labeled him as "a human punching bag." The audience expressed their disapproval with boos that had been echoing for several rounds. It was clear by the fifth round that Merhy's intentions did not involve winning or even actively engaging in the fight. Despite waiting for the perfect moment to strike, Merhy had remained passive throughout the match until that point.
In the sixth round, Merhy attempted to employ the rope-a-dope strategy with little success, while Anderson continued to land punches. Merhy's inactivity persisted in the seventh round, prompting Bradley to express his strong aversion towards seeing Merhy in the ring ever again. Although Merhy managed to connect with a few body shots, his lackadaisical approach continued in the ninth round, potentially frustrating Anderson with his opponent's lack of initiative. Finally, in the tenth and final round, Merhy showed some signs of fighting spirit, but it was too little, too late.
Anderson secured a unanimous decision victory in the end.
*Images: Top Rank
