Terence Crawford and Israel Madrimov top Riyadh Season’s first card on US soil. The under-card, in typical fashion, has a standout heavyweight bout.
With the current crop of big men soon set to make way for the younger contenders, perhaps no man brings about as much hope as Jared Anderson (17-0, 15 KOs). The enigmatic 24-year-old from Toledo, Ohio has made no secret of the fact that he’s in boxing to secure a comfortable future for his family – the sport can keep the legacy and plaudits. Despite that, he could have the talent to do it all.
Like any watchable heavyweight, Anderson brings some vulnerabilities with him in the form of a strikingly open out-of-the-ring battle with the pressure on his shoulders. He also had a chin-check via former champion Charles Martin last year – one he passed but not enough to send out a warning that he can’t be hurt. Away from that, Anderson’s quick come-up has been close to punch-perfect, but that’s not unusual with a top prospect in his first dozen-or-so fights. This is, for a well-managed fighter, where the tests begin.
Enter Martin Bakole (20-1, 15 KOs), Congolese born big man fighting out of Airdrie, Scotland. According to him, he has hurt or dropped all of the best fighters in the division. Unfortunately for fans, those moments have come behind closed doors in the gym during sparring. Still, what has been witnessed is impressive – a solid gas tank for a 280lbs + man and relentless, thudding power. His one loss came to former cruiserweight Michael Hunter, perhaps a sign that Anderson’s athleticism could be key but not to be bought into if you believe Bakole’s post-fight explanation that he was under the weather for the defeat and shouldn’t have been fighting that night. Most recently he broke down and stopped former world title challenge Carlos Takam, swallowing and being stung by a bee while doing it.
Both have fight-ending power, both can be hit, the styles should gel and there’s a considerable amount of pressure – more than a token title – on each man, whether that’s becoming America’s next heavyweight hope after the downfall of Deontay Wilder or proving years of claims that you’re the division’s biggest boogeyman. Fans will struggle to find a confident prediction outside of the respective camps.
The pair face off on August 3 before Crawford attempts to become a four-weight world champion, the fluid and athletic movement of Anderson up against its most stern test in the form of brick-wall Bakole. The latter is 31, closer to the end of his campaign than Anderson but still with the time to top the division for a few years. As such, the fight could be very telling in terms of what the heavyweight landscape will look like as the current top dogs start to plan for a well-earned retirement. It’s not to be missed.
