Jared Anderson cruises to easy win over punching bag Ryad Merhy

Earlier than he was about to get into the ring for the seventeenth time as a professional, Jared “The Actual Massive Child” Anderson was free, even giddy, playing around taking photos, with a beaming smile, actually having fun with himself.

Essentially the most promising American heavyweight even went a step additional, deciding to don a race automobile helmet and racing motif throughout his ring stroll Saturday evening on the High Rank ESPN present from the American Financial institution Heart, in Corpus Christi, Texas. The apparel was a flippant gesture towards Anderson’s out-of-ring rushing run-ins with legislation enforcement.

Apparently, nobody awoke Belgian Ryad Merhy for the battle. He by no means stepped on the fuel.

Anderson (17-0, 15 knockouts) went the gap for under the second time, successful a convincing, but tedious 10-round unanimous choice.

The 31-year-old Merhy (32-3, 26 KOs) was a humiliation. He safely acquired a payday, although misplaced any respect he had. Merhy was as soon as a WBA cruiserweight titlist, and he did beat Tony Yoka, the French 2016 Olympic tremendous heavyweight gold medalist, in December.

That didn’t matter. Merhy made no try and win.

Regrettably, Anderson was not served properly in successful by 100-90 shutout scores by judges Ruben Carrion and Ellis Johnson, and in some way 99-91 on David Sutherland’s card.

17-0 🫡 pic.twitter.com/jjUARbqOkb

— High Rank Boxing (@trboxing) April 14, 2024

The tip arrived with a refrain of boos. Someway referee Lee Rogers was in a position to end standing, contemplating the sedative he needed to officiate.

Merhy’s 144 punches had been the third-fewest ever thrown in a 10-round battle in CompuBox historical past.

Anderson got here out because the aggressor. He was regular, relaxed, poking away with the jab. Merhy did little to get contained in the jab, opting to carry a excessive guard and take the photographs. It was extra of the identical within the second, and the third, and the fourth, because the spherical progressed, a spattering of boos started spilling extra from the group.

Merhy did virtually near nothing within the third. Was he attempting to bore Anderson into making a mistake? He spoke about being affected person earlier than the battle. This was a little bit too affected person. The one purpose anybody knew Merhy was not asleep was as a result of he was standing.

As every spherical handed, extra boos may very well be heard from the group. Anderson appeared to be content material staying on the skin, jabbing and coming ahead, often dropping to land a proper to the physique.

It was changing into monotonous. But it surely was not Anderson’s fault. Merhy was not partaking whereas consuming Anderson’s jabs.

Midway by means of the battle, Anderson was pitching an earthly shutout.

By six rounds, Anderson had thrown 389 to Merhy’s pitiful 78 output. After eight, the distinction grew to Anderson’s 463 punches thrown to Merhy’s mere 86.

In a battle for his or her relevance, Efe Ajagba gained a 10-round split-decision over Guido “The Gladiator” Vianello by scores of 96-94 (2) over the 96-94 rating for Vianello.

The 2 29-year-old heavyweights that had been as soon as sparring companions. They placed on an excellent present, with Vianello beginning properly, and Ajagba countering to win the center rounds.

Ajagba (20-1, 14 KOs) outlanded Vianello in whole punches 186/583 (32%) to 177/622 (28%), successful principally together with his jab, 93/310 (30%) to 59/299 (20%), whereas Vianello gained on energy punches, 118/323 (37%) to 93/273 (34%).

What began gradual shortly picked up close to the tip of the second, when Vianello landed a proper over Ajagba’s lowered left hand and had the previous Nigerian Olympian in deep trouble within the closing 9 seconds. Ajagba survived, although not earlier than strolling to the mistaken nook.

Ajagba discovered his legs within the third, nonetheless, he was as soon as once more caught once more within the final 10 seconds of the spherical. Within the fourth, Ajagba started utilizing his jab extra persistently. With 1:28 left within the spherical, Ajagba caught Vianello (12-2-1, 10 KOs) with a proper uppercut. It was Ajagba’s finest spherical, up to now, within the battle.

Within the fifth, Ajagba struck Vianello with a straight left to the physique, pushing again to former Italian Olympian again into the ropes. What momentum Vianello had constructed within the closing 10 seconds of the second was dissipating.

Vianello started trying torpid within the sixth, getting hit extra simply and displaying little resistance.

Into the ultimate rounds we go 😬 pic.twitter.com/bLNy2cpOUi

— High Rank Boxing (@trboxing) April 14, 2024

Within the first 30 seconds of the seventh, Ajagba landed a proper uppercut, then a left uppercut that had Vianello’s head twisting. Vianello tried mounting some offense within the closing 20 seconds, although couldn’t join on something substantial.

By seven, Ajagba had a 129-121 join benefit.

Within the first minute of the eighth, Ajagba switched to a southpaw stance. With Ajagba’s stronger hand nearer, Vianello didn’t have reply. As Vianello got here ahead with 1:00 left within the spherical, Ajagba reeled off two proper uppercuts in a row that had Vianello backing away.

Getting into the final spherical, Ajagba outlanded Vianello, 167-152. Combating out of the southpaw stance, Ajagba was getting pushed again by Vianello. With 35 seconds left, Vianello plowed Ajagba with a proper, and few seconds later, one other proper. With 26 seconds left, Vianello caught Ajagba with a sweeping proper.

Robson-Conceicao lands a left on Jose Guardado (Picture by Mikey Williams/High Rank)

Junior light-weight Robson Conceicao, a three-time world title challenger, started the TV portion of the cardboard by stopping Jose Ivan Guardado (15-2-1, 5 KOs) at 2:27 of the seventh spherical in a scheduled eight-rounder. Conceicao (18-2-1, 9 KOs) knocked down Guardado twice within the seventh with a left to the physique, and the second time with one other left.

On the undercard, featherweight Ruben Villa (22-1, 7 KOs) gained a 10-round choice over Cristian Cruz (22-7-1, 11 KOs).

Welterweight John Rincon (9-0, 2 KOs) remained undefeated with six-round majority choice over Yainel Álvarez (3-4-2, 1 KO), rising light-weight star Abdullah Mason (13-0, 11 KOs) stopped Ronal Ron (14-6, 11 KOs) at 2:00 of the fourth spherical in a scheduled eight-rounder. Different outcomes included junior light-weight Alejandro Guerrero (13-4, 10 KOs) pulling off an upset by stopping beforehand undefeated Jalen Walker (12-1-1, 10 KOs) at 1:35 within the seventh spherical of a scheduled eight-rounder, and undefeated junior light-weight Charly Suarez (17-0, 9 KOs) successful an eight-round choice over Louie Coria (15-7, 7 KOs).

Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been working for Ring Journal/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Affiliation of America.Comply with @JSantoliquito