Jared Anderson takes center stage against Charles Martin

FIGHT WEEK

Rising heavyweight rival Jared Anderson will be the standout fighter on the cards when he takes on Charles Martin on Saturday in Toledo, Ohio, Anderson’s hometown.

JARED ANDERSON (14-0, 14 KOs)
WITH. CHARLES MARTIN (March 29, KO 26)

• Day: Saturday, July 1
• Time: 10pm ET / 7pm PT (main event after that)
• Where: Huntington Center, Toledo, Ohio
• television/stream: GAME, GAME +
• Assignment: Heavyweight (unlimited)
• threatened: No main title
• the odds: Anderson 7½-1 favorite (multi-store average)
• Also on the card: Arslanbek Makhmudov vs. Raphael Akpejiori, strong opponent
• Guess: Anderson KO 7
• Background: Anderson will take center stage at the age of 23. The Toledo heavyweight, who will pit Martin in front of his hometown fans, has been building towards the main event by taking out all 14 of his professional opponents. He’s an accomplished athlete with elite punch power and his skills are improving with every match, making him a potential star. He just needs to prove that he can beat the top level big guys. Martin doesn’t fall into that category but he’s a former employer with solid ability, making him arguably Anderson’s toughest test to date. The 37-year-old tennis player from St. Louis came back from the sixth round knockout loss to Luis Ortiz in January of last year by stopping Devin Vargas for the next forty-eight months. He briefly reigned as the IBF belt holder in 2016, losing his title with a second-round knockout to Anthony Joshua. Anderson was scheduled to take on Khazakhstan’s Zhan Kossobutskiy but Kossobutskiy was withdrawn about a week and a half ago because he failed to obtain a visa. Martin agreed to step in at that point.

FRANCHON CREWS-DEZURN (8-1, 2 KOs)
WITH. SAVANNAH MARSHALL (12-1, 10 KOS)

• Day: Saturday, July 1
• Time: 8pm ET / 5pm PT (main event after that)
• Where: AO Arena, Manchester, England
• television/stream: GAME +
• Assignment: Super Medium (168 pounds)
• threatened: Crews-Dezurn’s undisputed championship
• the odds: Marshall 3½-1 favorite (multi-store average)
• Also on the card: Natasha Jonas vs Kandi Wyatt, welterweight (for the vacant IBF title); Zak Chelli vs. Mark Jeffers, super middleweight
• Guess: Marshall University
• Background: Crews-Dezurn has been the dominant 168-pounder for the past half-decade but faces a tough test Saturday. The 36-year-old from Baltimore began her career with a loss to future superstar Claressa Shields but has since gone unbeaten, including championships since winning her first belt in 2018. She was on the verge of a decisive unanimous victory over Elin Cederroos last April that united all four major super-middleweight titles. Her next fight is her toughest fight, at least on paper. Marshall, a once amateur star, is one of the most skilled female boxers in the world. And she has one of the highest knockdown rates in the industry, which is indicative of her punch power. She last fought in October, when Shields point her out in a 160-pound title unification match. Marshall didn’t do enough to win the decider but gave a solid performance against the No. 1 female fighter. She will gain weight to face Crews-Dezurn, which shouldn’t be a problem for her. that. She fought at super-middleweight early in her career.

FIGHT THIS WEEK

WEDNESDAY

• Panya Pradabsri vs Norihito Tanaka, straw weight class (for Pradabsri’s WBC title), Rayong, Thailand (no TV in the US)
• Pedro Guevara vs. Miguel Herrera, minor, Culican, Mexico (ProBox TV)

THURSDAY

• Kurt Scoby vs. Hank Lundy, junior welterweight class, New York (BoxingInsiders social media)

SATURDAY

• Dalton Smith vs Sam Maxwell, junior weight class, Sheffield, UK (DAZN)
• Esquiva Falcao vs Vincenzo Gualtieri, middleweight (for vacant IBF title), Wuppertal, Germany (no TV in the US)

SUNDAY

• Sivenathi Nontshinga vs. Regie Suganob, junior flyweight (for Nontshinga IBF title), East London, South Africa (no TV in the US)