Rising heavyweight sensation Jared Anderson is set to step into the ring against veteran Andriy Rudenko next month, in an encounter scheduled for August 26th on ESPN.
At 39, Rudenko is a seasoned boxer, albeit past his prime, and has suffered losses against fighters like Hughie Fury, Zhilei Zhang, Alexander Povetkin, Agit Kabayel, and Vladyslav Sirenko. Despite being a low-risk match for Anderson, Rudenko’s experience could test the young talent's resilience, especially given his past struggles against Jerry Forrest and Charles Martin.
The 23-year-old Anderson is eager to make his mark in the heavyweight division before he plans to retire at 27. Despite showing signs of vulnerability in his fights, including his bouts against George Arias and Charles Martin, Anderson remains undeterred, and he is intent on squeezing in three fights this year.
Yet, Top Rank is under pressure to carefully select Anderson’s opponents - they can’t continue to match him against older, fading fighters indefinitely. The goal is to determine sooner rather than later if Anderson has the caliber to become a world champion-level fighter, while also ensuring that they can leverage his potential to the fullest before he hangs up his gloves.
Image Credit: Sky Sports