Tony Hirsch Jnr has a chance to ‘skip the line’ in Sunday’s Zuffa bill

Tony Hirsch Jnr wants to prove amateur experience isn’t everything, especially in the pros.

Hirsch will face Robert Meriwether on Sunday in an eight-round lightweight bout at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas.

Hirsch, 7-0-2 (4 KOs), had only four amateur fights before turning pro in 2021, even though he started boxing at age 8. A 24-year-old from Oakland, California, Hirsch watched his father – and now trainer – Tony Hirsch Snr spar with Andre Ward. He has been in the gym for years, but without the amateur background or marquee name, Hirsch has to prove his credibility to earn high-profile fights. He took a 50-50 fight against Joseph Rivas in December 2023, which ended in a majority draw.

Zuffa Boxing signed Hirsch Jnr earlier this year, and Sunday’s fight will give him a chance to prove he is a world-class fighter – without the typical resume seen at the top of the sport.

“It is an opportunity for him to skip the line,” Hirsch Snr said. “I think we are being underestimated. Zuffa gave us a stage for us to show what we can do.”

The elder Hirsch took a hard road. He turned professional after seven amateur fights and faced two U.S. Olympians, Demetrius Andrade and Shawn Estrada. He lost both fights but ended his career on a 10-fight unbeaten streak. Hirsch Snr knows how vital an opportunity this is for his son.

“I didn’t get an opportunity to fight for a belt until my 29th or 30th fight,” Hirsch Snr said. “He is getting a chance early, in only his 10th fight.”

Hirsch, on a five-fight win streak, signed with Northern California boxing manager Sam Garcia last year and has spent his entire training camp for this fight in Las Vegas.

Merriwether, 10-0 (4 KOs), also held his camp in Las Vegas. A 21-year-old, Merriwether has been one of the early standout fighters for Zuffa Boxing, garnering major praise on social media after his January win over Cesar Correa. 

“It is an important fight, but there isn’t a big story line,” Hirsch Snr said. “They don’t have any amateur history or any of that. We go out there and win this fight, the sky’s the limit, everything changes.”

Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.