Jared Anderson continues to impress – both in personality and product – with his thirteenth knockout in as many fights.
The rising heavyweight star marked the festive season by dancing to the ring in a blue Santa suit and Grinch mask. Such an outlandish show before facing the always-tough Jerry Forrest could have backfired, but it didn’t for Anderson.
🎄 @TeamBigBabyyy is going all out for the holidays. pic.twitter.com/bKAFYCQjVw
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) December 11, 2022
Despite having six losses on his record, Forrest hasn’t been stopped inside the distance since 2013 against Gerald Washington.
Anderson wanted to change that, and his approach was to forego any respect for his opponent’s power in favour of an early night at the office.
The 23-year-old American took some shots that simply couldn’t deter his relentless output, and he finished Forrest in the second round with a huge right hand that had him out on his feet.
.@TeamBigBabyy called it an early night 💤#LopezMartin | LIVE on ESPN pic.twitter.com/Jh1nSkDxvv
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) December 11, 2022
Post-fight, the 13-0 knockout machine wasn’t shy in rhyming off big names.
“All those big names. All those people who are ranked. Anybody in the top 15 of WBC, WBO, WBA – anybody up there. Filip Hrgovic, Frank Sanchez – all those big names – Dillian Whyte, Daniel Dubois, the whole list man. The list goes on.
It’s a business, and we gotta make those fights, man. People want to see these fights. Michael Hunter. Everybody who got an 0 – it got to go, man.”
Anderson is part of a rising class of heavyweights that places the division in a very good place for the future.
A fight against Frank Sanchez or Daniel Dubois would be particularly enticing given the stages all of them are at in their careers and their hopes to challenge for world honours in the future.
With four fights in 2021 and another two this year, Top Rank look to continue to push their heavyweight prospect up and up.
If an undisputed fight is made between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk in early 2023 and the belts fragment thereafter, don’t be surprised to see this young man in the mix over the next 24 months.