GRADES: JARED ANDERSON, EFE AJAGBA, ZELFA BARRETT & MORE

By: Jay Calderon

We had a couple of fight cards of note this weekend, with one on either side of the Atlantic.

In the US, we saw a Heavyweight doubleheader on ESPN, which saw Jared Anderson easily decision Ryad Merhy in the main event. In the co-featured bout of the evening, it was a close one between contenders Efe Ajagba and Guido Vianello.

Then, in Manchester, England, we saw a great battle between Zelfa Barrett and Jordan Gill at Featherweight that saw the former earn a stoppage late.

So, no more need to ramble. Let's hand out these grades:

JARED ANDERSON

RESULT: DEF. RYAD MERHY, 10UD (HEAVYWEIGHT)

GRADE: B

To be fair to Jared Anderson, it's very difficult to look good against an opponent that shows up only interested in survival. And furthering the credit, Anderson did the best he could against Ryad Mehry, a man that managed to throw only 144 punches in the entirety of a ten round bout.

Anderson didn't get too impatient, and looked to just touch his man up as he came forward, looking to capitalize on any mistake Merhy made. The problem is Ryad didn't throw enough to make enough mistakes.

Still, in the very wide open division of Heavyweight (outside of the very top, anyway), you hope the up-and-coming folks get rid of the Merhy types over the course of a ten round contest. Anderson, who began his career stopping literally everyone he faced, has come back down to Earth in the power department and he's faced better and trickier opposition. That's not a knock, it's just a measurement of where he is in the process.

Regardless, a composed and measured performance by Anderson, especially considering he has some outside-the-ring issues looming, and (provided his court case goes well enough) he's on to bigger and better.

RYAD MERHY

RESULT: LOSS TO JARED ANDERSON, 10UD (HEAVYWEIGHT)

GRADE: F

So often, I stress that grades are based on a combination of performance and expectations. With someone like Ryad Merhy, a massive underdog heading into his showdown with the unbeaten Jared Anderson, my expectations weren't particularly high.

Ryad still under-delivered.

In a full ten round encounter, Merhy through a lackluster 144 punches -- and those punchers weren't too impressive, either. Merhy showed no desire or ability to get anything done outside of hang around and survive. Even when throwing, it was more a hope and a wish then something thrown with legitimate spite or intent.

Again, I wasn't expecting an upset, but a relatively competitive fight isn't asking too much for a contest that goes the distance between relatively highly-ranked competitors.

Instead, we saw Anderson come forward and look for openings that weren't there because Merhy refused to commit to anything beyond safety. And Anderson can be hit, he is known for letting his hands go. You just have to be willing to engage to make that matter.

Merhy wasn't, and the poor grade highlights that point.

EFE AJAGBA

RESULT: DEF. GUIDO VIANELLO, 1OSD (HEAVYWEIGHT)

GRADE: C

The ups and downs of Efe Ajagba have been...interesting to track. After an Olympic bid in 2016, Ajagba turned pro in 2017 and went on a rampage, stopping the vast majority of his opponents until he ran into the tricky Frank Sanchez in 2021.

Since then, you literally don't know the Ajagba you're going to see on the night. Efe might show up, looking to box behind a jab; sometimes, he's going to look for the stoppage and finish you off. However, early against Guido Vianello, it didn't look like any of that was going to happen.

In the second frame, Ajagba was rocked badly, barely staying on his feet and even walking to the wrong corner at the round's end. It wasn't the best start for Ajagba to say the least.

However, to his credit, the Nigerian bounced back in those middle frames and put forth a gutsy effort that saw him getting busier, and neutralizing a lot of what his Italian foe looked to get done. While Vianello did rally late, a close decision to Ajagba seemed reasonable enough.

Much like his career thus far, Ajagba was inconsistent on the night and will certainly have some work to get done in the gym if he is to push for the bigger fights in the coming year or so.

GUIDO VIANELLO

RESULT: LOSS TO EFE AJAGBA, 10SD (HEAVYWEIGHT)

GRADE: C-

Much like his counterpart on the night in Efe Ajagba, Guido Vianello is simply an inconsistent fighter unable to stick with an approach that works for him long term.

Throughout his career, Vianello has had his trials and tribulations, and can't seem to get into gear and stay there. By his own admission, Vianello just has to put it together for long stretches, something that has at times appeared too difficult a task for the fighting big man. On the night against Ajagba, he failed to do so once again.

Early in the contest, Vianello seemed on his way to a sizeable upset. In the second round, Vianello landed a shot over the top that rocked Ajagba and had him in all sorts of trouble. However, as the rounds wore on, Vianello let that moment slip away, and he failed to capitalize.

While he pushed the action later on in the fight, it seemed Vianello had missed his chance to really make the impression he seems capable of making if he doesn't let things run away from him. Unfortunately, the fight, and perhaps any chances at cracking the top of the division, are just out of reach for Guido at this point.

ZELFA BARRETT

RESULT: DEF. JORDAN GILL, 10TKO (FEATHERWEIGHT)

GRADE: A-

Zelfa Barrett didn't fight the perfect fight against Jordan Gill. At times, Barrett seemed to take his foot off the gas and wasn't always as focused as he ought to have been in moments. That being said, he showed everything from intelligence and skills, to a great body attack and a killer instinct in those final moments. When it mattered, he came through.

When Barrett was completely switched on, he was quick and beat his man to the punch repeatedly. Showing that intelligence, Barrett was attacking the body from as early as the second and third rounds, wisely switching up his shot placement along the way.

To Gill's credit, he made the fight tough, especially in those middle frames. However, Barrett made it tougher on himself by not choosing to go through the gears earlier and keep Gill from building his way back into the fight. Regardless, as the fight wore on, Barrett's class showed and that body attack paid off.

With a loss, it would be hard to see where Zelfa would have went at this point. However, with a win, he buys himself more time to figure that out and perhaps take a crack at world gold.

JORDAN GILL

RESULT: LOSS TO ZELFA BARRETT, 10TKO (FEATHERWEIGHT)

GRADE: B-

Jordan Gill has nothing of which to feel ashamed after his stoppage loss to Zelfa Barrett.

Prior to being stopped by body shots in the tenth frame, he was mostly giving as good as he was getting. While you could make an argument for the scores being either way, Gill was certainly in the fight -- and it was a competitive, action fight as well that certainly entertained.

Ultimately, Gill just seemed to fall short as the pressure built in the contest and effectively wilted to body blows that would have likely stopped the vast majority of fighters full stop. Still, it was a brave effort by Gill until the very final second.

Gill, I believe, still can have his moments on the domestic level if he's matched well and given time to improve with new trainer Barry Smith. Whether that's enough for Gill is another question, as he may only have sights on loftier ambitions. Still, I feel he has a few solid performances left in the tank if he's interested in being matched in ways that give him legitimate chances to be successful.

LINKS:

- SCHEDULE & ODDS

- RESULTS

-