Notebook: Heavyweight contender Anderson faces DUI, gun charges

HOF publicist Samuels retires from TR; Quick hits; Show and tell

Dan Rafael

Nov 07, 2023

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Heavyweight contender Jared Anderson was arrested early Monday in Oregon, Ohio, for driving under the influence with a gun in his car.

Anderson, who was arrested at 1:52 a.m. ET and released at 11:46 a.m. ET, was charged with improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle while knowingly under the influence and operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to Lucas County (Ohio) Corrections Center online records.

Anderson, 23, of Toledo, Ohio, which is a few minutes from where he was arrested, was released on a $7,500 bond and is scheduled to be in court for a hearing on Tuesday.

Anderson was pulled over by Oregon police for allegedly driving 55 miles per hour in a 40 mph zone. During the stop, the officer noticed the odor of burnt marijuana coming from the vehicle and an open container of Don Julio alcohol in the car, according to the police report. Police also reported that they smelled the odor of alcohol coming from Anderson and that his eyes were “bloodshot and glassy.”

A search of the 2023 Dodge Charger led to the discovery of the firearm in the glove box, according to the police report.

Anderson has been lauded by Top Rank chairman Bob Arum and lineal/WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, who he has had as a key sparring partner, as a future champion. Anderson was the 2021 Fight Freaks Unite prospect of the year.

A Top Rank spokesman declined to comment.

Anderson (16-0, 15 KOs), who was in attendance in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Oct. 28 for Fury’s split decision win over former UFC star Francis Ngannou, fought three times in 2023 and was not scheduled for rest of the year.

He knocked out then-unbeaten George Arias in the third round in April; survived rocky moments in a wide 10-round decision win over former IBF titleholder Charles Martin in a Toledo homecoming bout in July; and knocked out Andriy Rudenko in the fifth round in August.

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HOFer Samuels retires

Top Rank’s beloved Lee Samuels has retired after 36 years with the company, including 30 as its publicist and the past six as an event coordinator.

“A true legend in the world of boxing,” Top Rank said in a statement. “The Top Rank family thanks Lee for his impact in the sport and the memories he created with staff and fighters.”

Samuels, 76, a longtime Las Vegas resident, who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2019, began his career as a sportswriter and worked for various New Jersey and Pennsylvania newspapers before Top Rank chairman Bob Arum hired him in 1983 to handle East Coast publicity for his long-running ESPN series, which ran shows regularly in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Samuels’ first big event was when he was assigned to handle PR for middleweight champion Marvelous Marvin Hagler for his mega fight with Sugar Ray Leonard in 1987. After leaving Top Rank from 1993 to 1996 to work at the Las Vegas Hilton sport book, he returned and handled publicity for the first Oscar De La Hoya-Julio Cesar Chavez showdown and all of Top Rank’s events until 2017, when he changed duties.

Samuels, a universally revered figure in boxing, was voted by the Boxing Writers Association of America as the winner of the 2006 Marvin Kohn Good Guy Award and the 2013 Barney Nagler Award for Long and Meritorious Service.

Listen to the latest podcast! We recapped a busy weekend, went over news of the week and shared memories on the anniversary of three major fights. Also subscribe to the pod for an alert as soon as the next episode drops.

Quick hits

Junior welterweight contender Brandun Lee (28-0, 23 KOs), 24, of La Quinta, California, who is a promotional and broadcast free agent, has signed with manager David McWater of Split-T Management, McWater told Fight Freaks Unite. Lee had been a regular on Showtime, but the network is ending its involvement in boxing next month. Lee has fought twice this year and is coming off a one-sided 10-round decision over Pedro Camp in April. “I’m excited to be working with the Lees. (Brandon and his father/trainer Bobby) are wonderful people. I believe Brandun will not just be a champion, but be a great champion,” McWater said.

Heralded light heavyweight prospect Ben Whittaker (4-0, 3 KOs), 26, a 2020 British Olympic silver medalist, will box an opponent to be determined on the undercard of WBO cruiserweight titlist Chris Billam-Smith’s defense against Mateusz Masternak on Dec. 10 (Peacock in U.S., Sky Sports in U.K.) in Bournemouth, England, Boxxer announced on Monday. Whittaker was initially supposed to fight on Boxxer’s Nov. 18 card but minor injuries, which have kept him out since July, pushed his schedule back, according to Boxxer promoter Ben Shalom. “We had a busy year lined up for him but he’s had some minor injuries to deal with following his fight in July,” Shalom said. “I’m excited to say he’s now fully fit and raring to go.”

Yokasta Valle (30-2, 9 KOs), 31, of Costa Rica, routed former titleholder Anabel Ortiz (33-6, 4 KOs), 37, of Mexico, to retain the unified IBF/WBO women’s strawweight belts on the Golden Boy card on DAZN on Saturday night in Cartago, Costa Rica. Valle won 100-90, 99-92 and 99-91 as she made her ninth overall title defense and her third of the unified belts. “The fight was very difficult. Anabel Ortiz is a very dirty fighter,” Valle said. “She used her head a lot, but despite that we were able to get the victory. I want (WBC/WBA titlist) Seniesa Estrada for my next fight. She has the other two titles, and I want to become the undisputed champion in this division.”

Show and tell

When they met for the first time, Riddick Bowe outpointed Evander Holyfield to take his undisputed heavyweight championship in the 1992 fight of the year, the first of three all-time great battles between the Hall of Famers. A year after the first memorable fight, they met in a rematch outdoors at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and waged yet another unforgettable classic. This time, Holyfield turned the tables and won a majority decision — 115-114, 115-113 and 114-114 — to reclaim the title. Making the fight even more memorable, of course, was perhaps the craziest thing to ever happen during a prize fight.

During the seventh round, James Miller, the so-called “Fan Man,” flew a paraglider that crashed onto the ring apron during the seventh round, causing a monstrosity of an interruption in the bout — to use the words of HBO broadcaster Jim Lampley, who was calling the pay-per-view fight. It was a chaotic scene as Miller was beaten by members of the audience and eventually taken away by security while the fighters sat in their corners wrapped in blankets on the chilly evening. After a 21-minute delay the fight resumed and Holyfield finished strongly to regain the title. The legendary fight and “Fan Man” insanity took place on Nov. 6, 1993 — 30 years ago on Monday. Here is the official program in my collection.

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