Jared Anderson vs Daniel Dubois? 'I'd love that fight,' says America's leading heavyweight prospect

Jared Anderson has won all 12 of his professional fights by knockout, most recently stopping Miljan Rovcanin in the second round at the end of August; Top Rank president Todd duBoef believes Anderson is on course to challenge at the top of the division

By John Dennen, Sports journalist

Image: Jared Anderson has his sights set on the top of the heavyweight division

Jared Anderson, America's leading heavyweight prospect, would welcome a fight with Britain's Daniel Dubois.

Anderson is determined to fly up the world heavyweight ranks. "I would love to fight a lot of people," he told Sky Sports.

"Filip Hrgovic, Carlos Takam, Daniel Dubois, there's a million names I could name, a lot of different people. All the contenders, prospects, all the ones coming out, Luis Ortiz, Andy Ruiz, all them, anybody. I'd love to fight anybody."

On Dubois he said: "I love that fight. I watched his Joe Joyce fight, I seen why he lost. He's still a decent fighter though.

"You can't count him out. I believe I beat him in good fashion if I don't stop him."

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Jared Anderson knocked out Miljan Rovcanin inside two rounds to maintain the perfect start to his boxing career

Anderson boxed last month, halting Miljan Rovcanin in just two rounds to maintain his perfect 12-0 (12) record. But he knows he has scope to improve.

"I gave myself a C+, maybe a B- at the most," he said of his latest performance.

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"I know my capabilities and what I'm good at," Anderson continued. "I think I've got so much more room to grow and so much more to accomplish."

He is, though, adamant he has something no other heavyweight can match. "They see I switch-hit. They see I do it from different stances. You can't put a style on me or nothing like that. I'm different. I tell people all the time. I'm just different. I don't know how to explain it, I'm different," he said.

"I can't really put nothing to my style, I'm fast, I'm explosive and I like fighting."

Image: Anderson is expecting the current heavyweight champions to retire sooner rather than later

Anderson wants to move to the top of the division sooner rather than later. But the 22-year-old doesn't expect the current crop of leading heavyweights to still be there once he reaches that level.

"Everybody's in their 30s. Everybody who's title-holding or previous title-holders in the last five years is old. So I don't see anybody, unless they're sticking around for the next two or three years. But I see everybody trying to retire or talking about retirement. It really don't sound like nobody will be around," he said.

"Especially not, seeing me coming."

A bright hope for America

Top Rank president Todd duBoef believes Jared Anderson will become the best heavyweight in the US eventually.

"To have a guy like Jared come out and have this type of athletic ability and power, and savvy and personality, is wonderful," he told Sky Sports.

"I think he is a bright hope for America but he's also a bright hope for what the world would want, which is a great heavyweight champion and to have those charismatic guys be the bad a** of the world in the heavyweight division, it always brings great attention to the whole sport."

Anderson will be ready for a world title shot, but not yet.

"I think he can be talked about that way in the future," duBoef said. "Our team and our matchmakers say, 'Hey, he's young, he has great hand speed, good power, good IQ, but he still needs experience.'

"He needs to, as they would say, get off the stool in the seventh and eighth round and figure out how he is with his conditioning and how he is when the guy is standing up to the big shots.

"Can't knock out everybody with the right hand in two rounds and think you're going to have a body of work when you've got to go 12.

"It's part of the process, I think over the next 10-12 months will be a real test and we can then say 'is he ready?'

"On ability, he's probably a top-10 heavyweight, but on the development side it's 'is he there yet?'

"He hasn't gone those extra rounds and extra distance to give him a base and that's what we need to do now."

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