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Getting to Know Jared Anderson, Boxing’s ‘Next Big Thing’
Getting to Know Jared Anderson, Boxing’s ‘Next Big Thing’
A boxing gym is supposed to be something of a sweat box and that was certainly true last Thursday afternoon, July 8, at Bones Adams gym in Las Vegas. Inside the gym, it was somewhat cooler than outdoors where the temperature hit 114 degrees, but the operative word here is “somewhat.”
The gym was much busier than usual, amping up the swelter. Heavyweight contender Michael Hunter was here going through his paces and recording promos for his Aug. 3 match at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden against former amateur rival Mike Wilson. Laila McCarter, who seemingly never takes a day off, was here sparring with former world title challenger Sharif Bogere. But the boxer attracting the most eyeballs was Jared Anderson who did six rounds of hard sparring with Patrick Mailata, a burly Samoan who wasn’t intimidated by the buzz heralding Anderson as the “next big thing.”
At one point, their feet got tangled, they fell to the mat in a heap, and for a fleeting moment it appeared as if a real fight would break out. But the moment passed without further incident and at the conclusion of the session, they hugged and exchanged kind words.
If one were to meet Jared Anderson for the first time and learn that he was an athlete, one would guess football. The “Real Big Baby” carries about 245 pounds on a six-foot-four frame and it’s easy to envision him as a tight end or defensive end for his home state Ohio State Buckeyes. But Jared joined the PAL boxing program at Toledo’s Central City Gym at the age of eight and never looked back. He did try out for football once – the coach didn’t like his attitude and told him he needn’t bother coming back – but, by and large, sports other than boxing held no allure. He likes going places that he hasn’t been before and top-shelf amateur boxers get to see parts of the world that other kids from their neighborhood will never get to see. (He fondly recalls a visit to Holland: “We were treated like kings.”)
Anderson rose to prominence within the small world of U.S. amateur boxing in 2017 when he finished first in his weight class at the USA National Tournament and was named the tournament’s Outstanding Boxer. He was eighteen years old, just barely, and it was a major upset when he outpointed flamboyant Cam X. Awesome, an 11-year veteran of elite amateur boxing, in the finals.
After winning another USA national title in 2018, Anderson was well-positioned to represent his nation in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but he didn’t wait around for the grand international event that would be stalled by the pandemic. On Sept. 24, 2019, he signed with Top Rank. Two other Toledo boxers, lightweight Albert Bell and junior lightweight Tyler McCreary, were already in the Top Rank fold.
Anderson made his pro debut on Oct. 26, 2019. As of this writing he’s 9-0 with all of his wins coming by knockout. In most of these fights – in stark contrast to his sparring session with Patrick Mailata – he hardly broke a sweat. As a pro, he’s answered the bell for only 20 rounds.
Jared was Tyson Fury’s lead sparring partner heading into Fury’s rematch with Deontay Wilder. He guesses that he has sparred about 60 rounds with the Gypsy King. “With Fury,” he says “what you see is what you get. He is a very open person.” Indeed, the gregarious and mischievous Britisher has a way of keeping things loose in the gym while still keeping his nose to the grindstone.
The linchpin of Team Jared Anderson is Central City head boxing coach Darrie Riley who has been with Jared since the very beginning. But nowadays, Anderson hangs his hat mostly in Houston to be closer to assistant coach Kay Koroma who turned heads working with Anderson and his Team USA teammates at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
Anderson’s father is a jack-of-all-trades — plumbing, roofing, electrical work, etc – who owns his own handyman’s business. His mother is a social worker. He has two older brothers on his mother’s side.
Hailing from Toledo, one would guess that Jared is a fan of the Cleveland Browns, or maybe the team across the bay, the Lions. (Toledo is closer to Detroit than to Cleveland as the crow flies.) But no, he is a longstanding New England Patriots fan.
He adopted the Pats while playing the Madden 09 video game with his friends and older brothers. A trace of a fiendish smile crosses his lips when he thinks about how he daggered them whenever he had the Tom Brady-to-Randy Moss combination working for him.
Asked to name his most admired boxers, Anderson crosses generations: Sugar Ray Leonard; Andre Ward; Shakur Stevenson.
One might think that Jared selected Shakur merely as a way of giving a “shout out” to one of his best buddies, but no. “I don’t believe that any boxer his age was ever as skilled defensively, not even Floyd Mayweather,” he says. “In his amateur days, he was impossible to hit.”
Being the world’s greatest defensive fighter can actually be poison as far as developing a big fan base. In his last bout against Namibia’s Jeremiah Nakathila, Stephenson won all 12 rounds on every scorecard, official and unofficial, a virtuoso performance, but most viewers likely had trouble staying awake.
“I’m afraid he may have to take on the role of a villain (to maximize his career earnings),” says Anderson.
What about Jared? Might he also adopt the persona of a villain?
“That’s not my nature,” he says, “I love supportive fans. But some days I feel like being a villain. Today I feel like being a villain.”
What soured Anderson on the human race on this particular day was the discovery that someone had hacked into his Twitter and Instagram accounts for the purpose of selling stuff. He was also disturbed by a recent allegation on social media that he had blown off a little kid who just wanted an autograph.
“I would never intentionally do that,” he says, while noting that sometimes when he is leaving an arena, he is pushed forward by a gaggle of attendants in a way that makes it hard to notice folks standing off to the side.
“I signed for a guy the other day,” says Anderson, “and when he left, I thought to myself I think this is maybe the fifth time that I’ve signed for this guy.”
Autograph hounds are annoying in a way that only a famous person can truly appreciate. And the ranks of these fleas (those that cadge autographs to re-sell) have grown exponentially in the digital age where anyone can become a memorabilia dealer.
We regret to inform Mr. Anderson that things will almost assuredly get worse. He will be besieged by more and more autograph hounds as his career continues on its upward slope. Of course, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It will mean that the “next big thing” in boxing is proving to be as good as advertised.
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The Ortiz-Bohachuk Thriller has been named the TSS 2024 Fight of The Year
The Aug. 10 match in Las Vegas between Knockout artists Vergil Ortiz Jr and Serhii Bohachuk seemingly had scant chance of lasting the 12-round distance. Ortiz, the pride of Grand Prairie, Texas, was undefeated in 21 fights with 20 KOs. Bohachuk, the LA-based Ukrainian, brought a 24-1 record with 23 knockouts.
In a surprise, the fight went the full 12. And it was a doozy.
The first round, conventionally a feeling-out round, but was anything but. “From the opening bell, [they] clobbered each other like those circus piledriver hammer displays,” wrote TSS ringside reporter David A. Avila.
In this opening frame, Bohachuk, the underdog in the betting, put Ortiz on the canvas with a counter left hook. Of the nature of a flash knockdown, it was initially ruled a slip by referee Harvey Dock. With the benefit of instant replay, the Nevada State Athletic Commission overruled Dock and after four rounds had elapsed, the round was retroactively scored 10-8.
Bohachuk had Ortiz on the canvas again in round eight, put there by another left hook. Ortiz was up in a jiff, but there was no arguing it was a legitimate knockdown and it was plain that Ortiz now trailed on the scorecards.
Aware of the situation, the Texan, a protégé of the noted trainer Robert Garcia, dug deep to sweep the last four rounds. But these rounds were fused with drama. “Every time it seemed the Ukrainian was about to fall,” wrote Avila, “Bohachuk would connect with one of those long right crosses.”
In the end, Ortiz eked out a majority decision. The scores were 114-112 x2 and 113-113.
Citing the constant adjustments and incredible recuperative powers of both contestants, CBS sports combat journalist Brian Campbell called the fight an instant classic. He might have also mentioned the unflagging vigor exhibited by both. According to CompuBox, Ortiz and Bohachuk threw 1579 punches combined, landing 490, numbers that were significantly higher than the early favorite for Fight of the Year, the March 2 rip-snorter at Verona, New York between featherweights Raymond Ford and Otabek Kholmatov (a win for Ford who pulled the fight out of the fire in the final minute).
Photo credit: Al Applerose
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Women’s Prizefighting Year End Review: The Best of the Best in 2024
Women’s Prizefighting Year End Review: The Best of the Best in 2024
It’s the end of the year.
Here are our awards for the best in women’s boxing. But first, a rundown on the state of the sport.
Maybe its my imagination but it seems that fewer female fights of magnitude took place in 2024 than in previous years.
A few promoters like 360 Promotions increased their involvement in women’s boxing while others such as Matchroom Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions seem stagnant. They are still staging female bouts but are not signing new additions.
American-based promotion company Top Rank, actually lost 50 percent of their female fighter roster when Seniesa Estrada, the undisputed minimumweight champion, retired recently. They still have Mikaela Mayer.
A promotion company making headlines and creating sparks in the boxing world is Most Valuable Promotions led by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian. They signed Amanda Serrano and have invested in staging other female fights
This year, the top streaming company Netflix gambled on sponsoring Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson, along with Amanda Serrano versus Katie Taylor and hit a monster home run. According to Netflix metrics an estimated 74 million viewers watched the event that took place on Nov. 16 at Arlington, Texas.
“Breaking records like this is exactly what MVP was built to do – bring the biggest, most electrifying events to fans worldwide,” said Nakisa Bidarian co-founder of MVP.
History was made in viewership and at the gate where more than 70,000 fans packed AT&T Stadium for a record-setting $17.8 million in ticket sales outside of Las Vegas. It was the grand finale moment of the year.
Here are the major contributors to women’s boxing in 2024.
Fighter of the Year: Amanda Serrano
Other candidates: Katie Taylor, Claressa Shields, Franchon Crews, Dina Thorslund, and Yesica Nery Plata.
Amanda Serrano was chosen for not only taking part in the most viewed female title fight in history, but also for willingly sacrificing the health of her eye after suffering a massive cut during her brutal war with Taylor. She could have quit, walked away with tons of money and be given the technical decision after four rounds. She was ahead on the scorecards at that moment.
Instead, Serrano took more punches, more head butts and slugged her way through 10 magnificent and brilliant rounds against the great Taylor. Fans worldwide were captivated by their performance. Many women who had never watched a female fight were mesmerized and inspired.
Serrano once again proved that she would die in the ring rather than quit. Women and men were awed by her performance and grit. It was a moment blazed in the memories of millions.
Amanda Serrano is the Fighter of the Year.
Best Fight of the Year – Amanda Serrano versus Katie Taylor 2
Their first fight that took place two years ago in Madison Square Garden was the greatest female fight I had ever witnessed. The second fight surpassed it.
When you have two of the best warriors in the world willing to showcase their talent for entertainment regardless of the outcome, it’s like rubbing two sticks of dynamite together.
Serrano jumped on Taylor immediately and for about 20 seconds it looked like the Irish fighter would not make the end of the first round. Not quite. Taylor rallied behind her stubborn determination and pulled out every tool in her possession: elbows, head butts, low blows, whatever was needed to survive, Taylor used.
It reminded me of an old world title fight in 2005 between Jose Luis Castillo a master of fighting dirty and Julio Diaz. I asked about the dirty tactics by Castillo and Diaz simply said, “It’s a fight. It’s not chess. You do what you have to do.”
Taylor did what she had to do to win and the world saw a magnificent fight.
Other candidates: Seniesa Estrada versus Yokasta Valle, Mikaela Mayer versus Sandy Ryan, and Ginny Fuchs vs Adelaida Ruiz.
KO of the Year – Lauren Price KO3 Bexcy Mateus.
Dec. 14, in Liverpool, England.
The IBO welterweight titlist lowered the boom on Bexcy Mateus sending her to the floor thrice. She ended the fight with a one-two combination that left Mateus frozen while standing along the ropes. Another left cross rocket blasted her to the ground. Devastating.
Other candidates: Claressa Shields KO of Vanessa LePage-Joanisse, Gabriela Fundora KO of Gabriela Alaniz, Dina Thorslund vs Mary Romero, Amanda Serrano KO of Stevie Morgan.
Pro’s Pro Award – Jessica Camara
Jessica Camara defeated Hyun Mi Choi in South Korea to win the WBA gold title on April 27, 2024. The match took place in Suwon where Canada’s Camara defeated Choi by split decision after 10 rounds.
Camara, who is managed by Brian Cohen, has fought numerous champions including Kali Reis, Heather Hardy and Melissa St. Vil. She has become a pro fighter that you know will be involved in a good and entertaining fight and is always in search of elite competition. She eagerly accepted the fight in South Korea against Choi. Few fighters are willing to do that.
Next up for Camara is WBC titlist Caroline Dubois set for Jan. 11, in Sheffield, England.
Electric Fighters Club
These are women who never fail to provide excitement and drama when they step in the prize ring. When you only have two-minute rounds there’s no time to run around the boxing ring.
Here are some of the fighters that take advantage of every second and they do it with skill:
Gabriela Fundora, Mizuki Hiruta, Ellie Scotney, Lauren Price, Clara Lescurat, Adelaida Ruiz, Ginny Fuchs, Mikaela Mayer, Yokasta Valle, Sandy Ryan, Chantelle Cameron, Ebanie Bridges, Tsunami Tenkai, Dina Thorslund, Evelin Bermudez, Gabriela Alaniz, Caroline Dubois, Beatriz Ferreira, and LeAnna Cruz.
Claressa Shields Movie and More
A motion picture based on Claressa Shields titled “The Fire Inside” debuts on Wednesday, Dec. 25, nationwide. Most boxing fans know that Shields has world titles in various weight divisions. But they don’t know about her childhood and how she rose to fame.
Also, Shields (15-0, 3 KOs) will be fighting Danielle Perkins (5-0, 2 KOs) for the undisputed heavyweight world championship on Sunday Feb. 2, at Dort Financial Center in Flint, Michigan. DAZN will stream the Salita Promotions fight card.
“Claressa Shields is shining a spotlight on Flint – first on the big screen and then in the ring on Sunday, February 2,” said event promoter Dmitriy Salita, president of Salita Promotions. “Claressa leads by example. She is a trailblazer and has been an advocate for equality since she was a young lady. This event promises to be one of the most significant sporting and cultural events of the year. You don’t want to miss it, either live, in person or live on DAZN.”
Shields is only 29 years old and turns 30 next March. What more can she accomplish?
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Lucas Bahdi Forged the TSS 2024 Knockout of the Year
A Knockout of the Year doesn’t have to be a one-punch knockout, but it must arrive with the suddenness of a thunderclap on a clear day and the punch or punches must be so harsh as to obviate the need for a “10-count.” And, if rendered by an underdog, that makes the KO resonate more loudly.
Within these parameters, Lucas Bahdi’s knockout of Ashton “H2O” Sylva still jumped off the page. The thunderclap happened on July 20 in Tampa, Florida, on a show promoted by Jake Paul with Paul and the great Amanda Serrano sharing the bill against soft opponents in the featured bouts.
The 30-year-old Bahdi (16-0, 14 KOs) and the 20-year-old Sylva (11-0, 9 KOs) were both undefeated, but Bahdi was accorded scant chance of defeating Jake Paul’s house fighter.
Sylva was 18 years old and had seven pro fights under his belt, winning all inside the distance, when he signed with Paul’s company, Most Valuable Promotions, in 2022. “We believe that Ashton has that talent, that flashiness, that style, that knockout power, that charisma to really be a massive, massive, superstar…” said the “Problem Child” when announcing that Sylva had signed with his company.
Jake Paul was so confident that his protege would accomplish big things that he matched Sylva with Floyd “Kid Austin” Schofield. Currently 18-0 and ranked #2 by the WBA, Schofield was further along than Sylva in the pantheon of hot lightweight prospects. But Schofield backed out, alleging an injury, opening the door to a substitute.
Enter Lucas Bahdi who despite his eye-catching record was a virtual unknown. This would be his first outing on U.S. soil. All of his previous bouts were staged in Mexico or in Canada, mostly in his native Ontario province. “My opponent may have changed,” said Sylva who hails from Long Beach, California, “but the result will be the same, I will get the W and continue my path to greatness.”
The first five rounds were all Sylva. The Canadian had no antidote for Sylva’s speed and quickness. He was outclassed.
Then, in round six, it all came unglued for the precocious California. Out of the blue, Bahdi stiffened him with a hard right hand. Another right quickly followed, knocking Sylva unconscious. A third punch, a sweeping left, was superfluous. Jake Paul’s phenom was already out cold.
Sylva landed face-first on the canvas. He lay still as his handlers and medics rushed to his aid. It was scarifying. “May God restore him,” said ring announcer Joe Martinez as he was being stretchered out of the ring.
The good news is that Ashton “H2O” Silva will be able to resume his career. He is expected back in the ring as early as February. As for Lucas Bahdi, architect of the Knockout of the Year, he has added one more win to his ledger, winning a 10-round decision on the undercard of the Paul vs Tyson spectacle, and we will presumably be hearing a lot more about him.
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