AMIR ANDERSON is a man in a hurry, so much so that, already, the 3-0 middleweight talent is targeting a clash with former world champion Patrick Teixeira.
With all of his professional outings ending inside the distance, it is fair to say that the 21-year-old is no stranger when it comes to getting the job done in double-quick fashion.
And yet, even for his lofty standards, it would be a truly remarkable feat if he were to secure a world title shot as swiftly as he hopes.
That is not to say an achievement of such magnitude remains far beyond his grasp, but rather, the speed in which Anderson expects to accelerate is unusual – almost wildly so – for any prospect with his level of experience.
In fact, the American, who turned pro with a glittering amateur record last year, even rejected an offer from Top Rank, perhaps his country’s most established promotional outfit, for a more appealing trajectory under the Misfits Boxing banner.
“We had a lot of interest from most of the top promoters – including Matchroom, Top Rank and even MVP – but it just came down to numbers and expectations,” Anderson told Boxing News.
“We were literally going to sign with Top Rank a day before Misfits contacted us. But they [Misfits] treated my goals like they were realistic, whereas Top Rank were like, ‘Let’s take it slow and start with four-rounders.’
“That wasn’t a good fit for me, so I’m super grateful to be part of Misfits.”
Despite being known more for its ‘influencer boxing’ shows, Misfits has, in equal measure, put the wheels in motion to expand its growing stable of ‘proper fighters’.
One of whom, of course, happens to be Anderson, who will face Vitor Siqueira, an 8-1 Brazilian, in an eight-round contest on August 30.
While expecting to come through his assignment at the Manchester Arena, England, with relative ease, though, ‘The Cashman’ has already lined up a possible next opponent.
“He [Siqueira] spars with Patrick Teixeira, and that’s the fight that I want,” Anderson insisted. “I’m ready for that fight now, but I think that it could be more realistic for next year.
“If we get that fight with Teixeira, and I beat him, then I’ll be ready [for a world title shot] right after, because that [win] would put me in the top 10 of the sanctioning body rankings.
“My goal is to get to a world title as soon as possible.”
Indeed, Teixeira would likely offer a stern test on the cusp of world level, especially when considering his victory over Carlos Adames back in 2019.
And while, since his WBO world title victory, he has failed to reach the same dizzy heights, it must be said that the 34-year-old veteran nonetheless remains a serviceable operator.
The fact that Anderson wishes to test himself against the Brazilian is somewhat unsurprising, however, as it seems that, ever since he first laced up a pair of gloves, his competitive spirit has only grown more fierce.
“At first, I hated boxing,” he admitted. “I didn’t like how the coaches were teaching me, or treating me. The environment was just so hard, and I was soft as a kid, but my mum wanted me to start boxing because we grew up in a not so good area [Syracuse, New York].
“She wanted me to harden up, and gain a bit of mental toughness, so I started sparring with a couple of national champions and, even though I was bigger than them, they were still touching me up.
“I would just cry, because these kids were beating me up every session, but I knew that I would eventually be better than them. That competitive mindset has got me to where I am now.”
Anderson soon found himself in a do-or-die situation, where his back was shoved up against the wall, and it was only then that he knew he had the minerals to pursue a sport as unforgiving as boxing.
“I was 13 [years old] at the time, and one day, while I was playing basketball, I said to myself, ‘If I don’t win my next tournament, I’m going to quit boxing,’” he recalled.
“So I went to the Junior Olympics, after having around 30 or 40 fights, and came up against the number one kid in my weight class [Nathan Lugo].
“He was knocking everyone out and, even though I thought I won the fight, he beat me by split decision [in 2018].
“That just motivated me to keep going, because I knew that I belonged with the top guys.”
Even now, Anderson firmly believes that he belongs with the ‘top guys’ but, like with anything, only time will tell as to whether he truly deserves to compete at the highest level.
