Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson was looking for a step up in competition.
He didn't get it from veteran Ryad Merhy, but that didn't stop Anderson from delivering a sound boxing performance behind the jab to cruise toward a lopsided unanimous decision Saturday night. After 10 rounds, judges at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas scored it 100-90, 100-90 and 99-91 all in favor of Anderson. DAZN had it as a 100-90 shutout for Anderson.
The 24-year-old rising American heavyweight star asserted his jab in the opening round and soon followed the weapon by peppering Merhy with combinations in what was almost entirely one-way traffic.
Merhy simply refused to engage with Anderson. Merhy threw 144 punches, which was the third-lowest output in a 10-round fight in Compubox history.
A composed Anderson didn't get frustrated at the lack of resistance Merhy produced as it became very clear the bout wasn't going to be the kind of fight "The Real Big Baby" grows from.
Yet, the promising heavyweight remained collected, stepping on the gas at times, but never getting overzealous for a knockout that never presented itself nor was forced.
After recording the unanimous decision to improve to 17-0 with 15 KOs, Anderson offered a message aimed at the rest of the division.
"If I'm ranked with you, if your name is near mine, we can get it cracking, man," he told ESPN, putting other heavyweights on notice. "'The Real Big Baby' — we coming to knock everybody off. We coming for them titles and we come to f—ing win."
Here's how the entire Anderson-Merhy main card went.