At the Stade Roland-Garros in Paris, France, former WBA cruiserweight champion Ryad Merhy secured a crucial victory with a ten-round unanimous decision against 2016 Olympic super heavyweight gold medalist Tony Yoka. Despite Yoka's height advantage and attempts to control the fight with his jab, Merhy, the shorter fighter, demonstrated aggression and successfully closed the distance to land impactful punches. As the bout progressed, Yoka's punch output decreased, allowing Merhy to gain the upper hand and win with a consistent score of 96-94 from all three judges. This victory marks a significant comeback for Merhy after his loss to Kevin Lerena, while Yoka faces his third consecutive defeat.
Fight Results
Fight Details
Tony Yoka (11-2, 9 KOs), the 2016 Olympic super heavyweight champion, is preparing for a pivotal comeback in his professional career, as he faces Ryad Merhy (31-2, 26 KOs) at the renowned Roland Garros tennis venue in Paris. This fight, significant for Yoka’s career trajectory, will be televised in France on Canal+.
Yoka acknowledges the critical nature of this bout, especially following a two-fight losing streak that has marked a challenging period in his career. In his conversation with The Ring, he emphasized the need for a decisive win to reestablish himself in the heavyweight division and to demonstrate that his recent setbacks were mere bumps in the road. This fight is not just about winning, but also about making a statement that he is still a force to be reckoned with in the heavyweight scene.
To revitalize his career, Yoka has made several changes. He has relocated to England, where he is now trained by Don Charles. This shift is not just in location and coaching but also in his fighting style and overall mindset towards training. Yoka's strategy involves adapting his style to suit his new opponent, Merhy, whom he considers an ideal match to showcase his evolved approach.
Yoka’s professional record reflects a successful transition from his amateur days, where he was a gold medalist at the 2015 World Championships and the 2016 Rio Olympics. His pro career highlights include victories over notable fighters like Alexander Dimitrenko, Johann Duhaupas, and Christian Hammer. However, recent losses to Martin Bakole and Carlos Takam have necessitated this period of reflection and reinvention.
On the other side, Ryad Merhy, originally from the Ivory Coast and now based in Belgium, turned pro in 2013 and had an impressive winning streak until his first defeat to Arsen Goulamirian in 2018. Merhy’s career has seen him accumulate notable victories, but he also experienced a setback against Kevin Lerena.
Fight card:
▪️Tony Yoka vs. Ryad Merhy, 10 rounds, heavyweight ▪️Dylan Colin vs. Gaetan NTambwe, 10 rounds, for Federation Francaise de Boxe French light heavyweight title ▪️Voldy Toutin vs. Vladimir Belujsky, 6 rounds, light heavyweight ▪️Victor Yoka vs. Francesco Lezzi, 6 rounds, super welterweight ▪️Axel Yoka vs. Daniel Borisov, 6 rounds, light heavyweight
