On the 13th of April, Ohio-based fighter, Jared Anderson, returns to action against Belgium resident, Ryad Merhy. Under the Top Rank banner, the fight will co-feature with Efe Ajagba vs. Guido Vianello. The heavyweight clash is being touted as the toughest engagement for both fighters to date. With a growing record like theirs, it holds potential for the winner to shoot up in the ranks post the fight. Here is everything you need to know about these up-and-coming heavyweights.

The Corpus Christi, Texas fight comes after Anderson enjoyed a very productive 2023, having undertaken three crucial fights against George Arias, Charles Martin, and Andrii Rudenko, winning all with a thumping majority. For Merhy though, last year was quite turbulent. After facing his career’s second loss at the hands of Kevin Lerena, he redeemed himself by upsetting Tony Yoka in a Paris showdown.

24-year-old ‘Big Baby’ turned pro in the year 2019, winning his debut fight against Daniel Infante through a first-round knockout. Since then, he’s undertaken 16 bouts, some against the likes of Oleksandr Teslenko (2021), Vladimir Tereshkin (2021), and Miljan Rovcanin (2022). To date, the fighter has remained undefeated, boasting 15 knockouts in 16 fights, assuming the role of a knockout machine.

Born on the Ivory Coast, his opponent, Merhy, 31 undertook his maiden pro-bout in 2013 against Croatian fighter, Hrvoje Bozinovic. After winning that fight through a second-round knockout, he entered a winning streak that lasted till 2018. That year, French fighter, Arsen Goulamirian, gave him his career’s first loss, retaining his WBA Cruiserweight title. In 2022, Merhy moved up the weights to the heavyweight division and continues to fight there with a record of 32-2 and 26 wins coming via knockouts.

While their record provides an interesting look into their illustrious career, insights into their physical attributes lay the premise for their upcoming clash.

Jared Anderson vs. Ryad Merhy: Who brings what to the table?

Big Baby personifies his moniker with a height of 6′4″, while his opponent comes in at 5’9”. On the weight front, Anderson weighed 239.5 lbs in his last bout and Merhy touched the 229.5 lbs mark.

With his record heavily dominated by knockout victories, Anderson comes in with a 93.5% ratio while Merhy comes close with an 81.25% KO ratio. With a reach of 181 cm, Merhy also falls short on this front in comparison to his opponent while Anderson comes in with a longer reach of 199 cm.

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On the money front, both have done moderately well for their age. Sources suggest Jared Anderson’s net worth is around $1 million. In 2020, Merhy’s net worth was estimated to be somewhere between $1 million and $5 million.

Their clash will be available on ESPN and ESPN+ at 10 PM Eastern Time. Who do you think will win among them? Take your pick in the comments section below.

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