Charles Martin tested Jared “Big Baby” Anderson on Saturday night, and fortunately for Anderson, he passed, but it wasn’t with flying colors.
The Toledo native returned home, went the distance for the first time in his career, and defeated Martin(29-4-1, 26 KOs) by unanimous decision at Huntington Center in Toledo, OH.
One judge scored the fight 98-91, and two others had it 99-90.
Anderson(15-0, 14 KOs) jumped out early on Martin and dropped him with a counter right hook in the third round. The 23-year-old looked to finish, but the experienced Martin survived. By the fifth, Anderson slowed a bit, which allowed Martin to hurt him with several left hands.
Martin appeared to hurt Anderson in the last round, but fortunately for Anderson, the time ran out.
In the end, Anderson outlanded Martin 157 to 85; he got the rounds, which is not a bad thing.
“I wanted to go the distance,” Anderson said. “It was my first time. I just wanted to make sure that I could go the distance and especially be able to withstand power the whole 10 rounds. He had power until the last round, and I was happy to get the rounds in.
“I think I took his best shots very well. I don’t think there was a time in the fight where I looked unsteady or where I couldn’t hold my own. Did feel like he got me with a good shot and stunned me? No. But do I feel like he got me with a good shot and made me aware? Yes, so I had to readjust and get back to the game plan.”
Martin, who took the fight on 11 days’ notice after undefeated Kazakh contender Zhan Kossobutskiy was forced to withdraw due to a delay in obtaining his visa, was impressed by Anderson and believes he will be a champion.
“I took the fight on 11 days’ notice,” he said. “I did the best I could. He’s a real champion. He’ll be making his way to the top soon. I’m proud of him.
“He’s really good. He’s a crafty boxer. Usually, when I catch somebody and hurt them, I can finish them. If they don’t fall, usually, I can follow up and put them away. But he is like a little middleweight. He is crafty. He was able to get out even when he was rocked. He was able to maneuver and get out the way. He’s going to be a champion.”
Anderson appears to have a bright future but has some work to do. At this point, Anderson is probably not ready for the top heavyweights in the division, which at age 23, is okay.
Arslanbek Makhmudov Makes U.S. Debut with TKO Win
In his stateside debut, Montreal-based wrecking ball Arslanbek Makhmudov (17-0, 16 KOs) retained his NABF heavyweight crown with a second-round TKO against the previously unbeaten Raphael Akpejiori (15-1, 14 KOs).
The two entered the contest with a combined record of 31-0, but Makhmudov’s amateur experience paid dividends. The 34-year-old dropped Akpejiori with a flurry that was initiated by a right uppercut, a punch he landed frequently.
He dropped Akpejiori again in the final seconds of the opening stanza, but the Nigerian survived despite wobbling to his feet. After another knockdown in the second round, referee Wes Melton deemed Akpejiori unable to continue.
Lightweight: Cleveland-born southpaw Abdullah Mason (9-0, 8 KOs) defeated Brazil’s Alex de Oliveira (20-5, 14 KOs) via second-round TKO. In the opening round, the 19-year-old phenom peppered Oliveira with quick jabs before tagging him to the body. In the following round, he ended the bout with a series of consecutive left hands.
Junior Middleweight: Puerto Rico’s Nicklaus Flaz (11-2, 7 KOs) notched an upset eight-round majority decision win against Jahi Tucker (10-1, 5 KOs). Flaz pressed the action from the start, forcing Tucker to fight off his back foot and often while on the ropes. Scores: 76-76, 78-74 and 77-75.
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