Jared Anderson will face former IBF heavyweight champion Charles Martin on July 1st, 2023, at the Huntington Centre, Toledo, Ohio.
The 23-year-old Anderson is unbeaten in his 14 fights, as he has a 100 percent knockout rate. His last fight was a stoppage-win over George Arias, as the latter quit on the stool after three rounds.
Anderson had been on course to face another undefeated fighter in the form of Zhan Kossobutskiy. With 19 wins and 18 by KO, the Kazakh would have posed a tough test.
However, Kossobutskiy’s failure to secure a US visa has now resulted in Martin replacing him. The 37-year-old, Martin, does have big-fight experience, having faced Anthony Joshua in 2016.
Jared Anderson To Face Charles Martin On July 1; Visa Issue Knocks Kossobutskiy Out Of Fight https://t.co/gs5vosDwi0 pic.twitter.com/eYpKcyzzoL
— BoxingScene.com (@boxingscene) June 21, 2023
Despite suffering a knockout defeat, Martin has shared the ring with Adam Kownacki and Luis Ortiz since then.
While he did suffer defeats to the two fighters, his confidence is high after winning his last fight over Devin Vargas via knockout.
The pressure will be on Anderson to perform in his hometown, but another victory will only increase the calls for him to face the big names in the division.