Jared Anderson has lofty aspirations to dominate the heavyweight division; The American warns: ‘I do have a bag of tricks I haven’t unleashed yet’; Also, Anderson gives Francis Ngannou ‘a pretty good puncher’s chance’ against Tyson Fury
Tuesday 18 July 2023 23:07, UK
Jared Anderson, the rising star of the American heavyweight scene, does not court publicity. But his inner confidence is hard to ignore.
In years to come, he sees himself as "being the best of all time".
The 23-year-old speaks softly but describes the vision calmly.
Already he is one of the most highly-touted prospects in American boxing. Unbeaten in 15 pro bouts, he's knocked out 14 of his opponents and went 10 rounds for the first time in his last bout against Charles Martin.
Next, he'll box Andrii Rudenko on August 27, live on Sky Sports.
In his career so far he reckons he's only shown "50, 55 per cent" of what he can really do.
"I do have a bag [of tricks] that I have not unleashed yet," he told Sky Sports.
"I don't say much. I just let my work do the talking for me. I know potentially I'm going to get into a fight where I'm going to have to unleash that whole bag and everybody will get to see it and they're going to be like: 'Wow we never knew he could do this.'
"But I knew the whole time. I just didn't say nothing because I'm not one to talk about it."
That is an attitude he thinks other fighters should emulate.
The sport is clamouring for the best in each division to actually box each other, rather than confine their efforts to trading claim and counter-claim across social media.
"You all got each other's managers' numbers. You all got each other's promoters' numbers. Stop doing all that Facebook and Instagram talking and stuff and fight," he said.
"Or send a contract or something. Negotiations don't go over Instagram."
Oleksandr Usyk's negotiations with Tyson Fury stalled in a blaze of publicity. He will defend his WBO, WBA and IBF titles against British challenger Daniel Dubois in Poland next month.
Anderson believes: "Usyk wins very easily because I think Dubois' very stiff. I think Usyk will take it pretty easily."
Unable to secure the undisputed championship fight with Usyk, WBC titlist Tyson Fury will instead be boxing Francis Ngannou, the former UFC champion who has not had a professional bout before.
But Anderson gives the mixed martial artist a chance, in fact, "a pretty good puncher's chance".
"It's a heavyweight fight," Anderson said.
"He has a puncher's chance at the end of the day," he continued with a smile. "If he lands that punch, Tyson might not get back up.
"I do believe if he thinks correctly and he goes back to watch the Conor McGregor fight with Floyd [Mayweather], he's going to try to last as long as he can and somebody who does that is going to have his power throughout the entire fight, like Charles Martin did."
Anderson wants to continue developing himself. He is returning to action weeks after his last bout and wants to continue to box regularly.
"If I could fight every month I would," he said. "In my opinion, I don't think it's an old-school mentality, I think it's a mentality everyone should have.
"I think people get better as they go through the necessary fights and bright lights and everything. People have got to experience fans, crowds, lights, stuff like that enough times to know that they can be very comfortable under them.
"So I feel like if you fight more you will perform better."
Anderson wants to push forward and wouldn't shy away from any opponent. "I know my capabilities. As long as I keep believing in my capabilities and keep training I don't have any issue with fighting any man. Any man can be better or worse on that day so it is what it is," he said.
As ambitious as Anderson is, he doesn't fear losing. He promises he is prepared to take risks.
He points to the example of The Greatest, Muhammad Ali. "How many losses did he have? It just goes to show, you can fall. It just all depends on how you get back up. What you do after. How you speak. How you speak about others," he said.
"This is real life. When you think about real life, there's so much more to it.
"I really don't have no fears or nothing."
