Jared Anderson already is a sensation in his hometown of Toledo, Ohio. The world could be next.
The 23-year-old heavyweight contender, who has stopped all 14 of his professional opponents, will face his toughest test so far when he takes on former titleholder Charles Martin on Saturday at Huntington Center in Toledo.
Anderson’s first main event will be televised on ESPN and ESPN+, which is a milestone. And this is the first time he’ll fight in his old stomping grounds.
“This is super special,” Anderson said Thursday at the final news conference before the event. “I’m super excited. I’m the talk of the town. It’s a new feeling. I’m happy to be here. I’m happy to embrace it. I’m happy to be an inspiration for the kids.”
Anderson is being marketed by Top Rank as the next great heavyweight.
So far so good. He has employed a lethal combination of athleticism, ability and power to destroy everyone in his path, making him a potential star in the sport’s glamour division.
However, it’s a step-by-step process. And Martin might be his biggest step yet.
Anderson had been scheduled to fight unbeaten slugger Zhan Kossobutskiy of Khazakhstan but Kossobutskiy was pulled from the card less than two weeks ago because he couldn’t procure a visa.
Martin, who immediately agreed to step in, could be a more difficult opponent for Anderson.
The 37-year-old from St. Louis has had ups and downs. He briefly held the IBF belt in 2016 but was stopped by Anthony Joshua in his first defense and was knocked out by Luis Ortiz after he had put the Cuban down twice early last year.
So who knows what we’ll see from him on Saturday? One thing is obvious, though: He has a solid skill set and top-tier punching power, as well as more experience than Anderson.
Anderson said he’s not concerned about the adjustment to a new opponent on short notice. Both Kossobutskiy and Martin are left-handed, which will have helped him make the transition.
“I come prepared for anything and everything,” he said. “Luckily, he is still a southpaw. I think that was the biggest reason that we chose him after the change. He’s also a bigger name. He is a former world champion. He has fought a few world titleholders as well.
“… It didn’t throw a monkey wrench in the plan, but it definitely made us go back to the drawing board, look at the tapes, and come back with a plan.”
Meanwhile, Martin (29-3-1, 26 KOs) is embracing the opportunity to reclaim some of the status he lost.
He said he had been training when he got the call to fight Anderson. He last fought in September, when he rebounded from the loss to Ortiz by stopping Devin Vargas in four rounds in Los Angeles, where he’s based.
“I was happy when I got the call,” Martin said. “I had been putting in a lot of work, so I was happy that the hard work was finally paying off. I’ve dedicated myself fully. I leave no stones unturned. You can’t do that in this game.
“I’m up for the challenge. He’s a big, strong, young lion. And I’m here.”
All of Anderson’s opponents have showed up. They just haven’t lasted long.
[lawrence-related id=37940,34691]