Jared Anderson earns the win in homecoming bout

Volume 2 Issue 25

Jared Anderson (L) and Charles Martin (R) exchange punches during their heavyweight fight at Huntington Center on July 01, 2023 in Toledo, Ohio. (Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images)

In what may be the biggest sporting event in decades in Northwest Ohio, the hometown hero Jared Anderson proved why he deserves top billing.

Anderson, who never forgets to represent his hometown, had the Huntington Center on their feet and cheering louder than the Walleye ever could… and that was just when they showed him on the big screen back stage. Anderson’s impact on the community is immesurable. After all, he did get ESPN and Top Rank to host one of the biggest fights of the year in Toledo.

The Scott high graduate never forgot his roots and it showed when he made his heroic debut out of the tunnel. In a roar of deafening cheers, Anderson emerged out of the entrance donning the mascot head of the famed Scott Bulldogs, being played out by the Scott marching band and wearing a Scott jacket and Scott-inspired shorts.

To say he was a hometown favorite would be an understatement.

However, this match would undoubtley be Anderson’s toughest match to date. Charles Martin, former IBF World Champion, stepped in to the fight at the last second after the previous fighter that was scheduled couldn’t get a visa to come to the USA.

Martin had 29 wins and 26 KO’s compared to Anderson’s perfect record of 14 apiece. As the donning bell sounded it was clear this would not be a typical Jared Anderson fight. Although, Anderson was in control and throwing more punches, Martin landed some huge shots to face that Andeson hasn’t seen much of yet in his pro career.

Martin’s size made him seem like an imovable object, that was until Anderson scored a knockdown with a big right hook at the end of the third round. Anderson and Martin released a flurry of punches on each other over the ensuing rounds, pushing each against the ropes and testing each others limits.

As the final bell sounded with no knockout, the crowd waited in suspense as the judges handed in their scorecards. In a unanimous decision, the win went to Jared Anderson, the hometown hero.

Holley and Poling USFL champions once again

(Photo by Stew Milne/USFL/Getty Images USFL)

Whitmer grad Nate Holley and Elida grad Quentin Poling have once again risen up the USFL championship trophy. The pair won the title last season in the league’s rebirth year and did it once again last night against Pittsburgh.

This was undoubtedly both players’ best years as a pro. Holley started eight out of ten games and recorded 49 tackles on the season. Polling, who started the year on the bench, ended up with 41 tackles and earned Defensive Player of the Week twice. That includes two games where he had ten tackles in each.

It is unclear what path the players or the Stallions will take next. Hopefully the two will continue to be able to represent Northwest Ohio in whatever league or team they are able. However, what is cemented is their place in history. They are each one of just three players to ever win a USFL championship from Northwest Ohio. The other being Tony Osbun of the Michigan Panthers in 1983.

Leading Updates

• Charlie Clark (Sandusky/Perkins) qualified for the World Championships in the 1500m freestyle swim.

• Zavier Simpson (Lima/Lima Senior) signs a Summer League deal with the Detroit Pistons.

Notable Game Updates

• On June 27th Natasha Howard (Toledo/Waite) had 19 points and 10 rebounds in a Dallas win over Phoenix.

• On June 29th Chris Bassitt (Curtice/Genoa) earned the win with 12 strikeouts and no earned runs in a Toronto win over San Francisco.

• On June 30th Adam Wolf (Milan/Edison) earned the save for the Double-A Erie SeaWolves.

• On June 30th Zia Cooke (Toledo/Rogers) had 10 points in a Los Angeles loss to Chicago.

• On July 1st Andrew Chafin (Wakeman/Western Reserve) earned the hold in a Diamondbacks win over the Dodgers.

Interesting Reads

• Browns Underlying Stories: James Hudson III

• “I really love this team”: Trevor Harris on the resilient Roughriders of 2023

• Former Toledo basketball star Grace VanSlooten ready for Team USA

• Why Jared Anderson is the future of boxing's heavyweight division

• Former Central Catholic standout James Hudson enters pivotal year with Browns

• Life moving quickly for Zia Cooke in transition to WNBA

• Toledo Christian's Braden commits to Toledo women's basketball

• Perfect fit: Former Eastwood wrestling champ Lashaway returns to coach

• Coaches association to conduct Ohio's first 8-man football playoff

• Recruiting interest rising for Whitmer basketball star West

Just For Fun

Restructuring HS conferences in NWO

With Leipsic and Ada departing the NWC, Liberty-Benton leaving the BVC and Delphos St. John’s expressing their interest to leave the MAC, here is my possible realignment suggestion to make it all work:

BVC

• Ada

• Arcadia

• Arlington

• Elmwood

• Leipsic

• McComb

• Pandoria-Gilboa

• Riverdale

• Van Buren

• Vanlue

MAC

• Anna (FB Only)

• Coldwater

• Fort Loramie

• Fort Recovery

• Marion Local

• Minster

• New Bremen

• New Knoxville

• Parkway

• St. Henry

• Versailles

NWC

• Allen East

• Bluffton

• Columbus Grove

• Convoy Crestview

• Delphos Jefferson

• Delphos St. John’s

• Lima Bath

• Lincolnview

• Spencerville

WBL

• Celina

• Defiance

• Elida

• Kenton

• Liberty-Benton

• Ottawa-Glandorf

• Shawnee

• St. Marys Memorial

• Van Wert

• Wapakoneta