(Zuffa Boxing)
Lightweight Tony Hirsch Jnr turned being underestimated into a potentially life-changing win.
Hirsch won an eight-round majority decision over unbeaten Robert Meriwether on April 5 at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas.
Hirsch, 8-0-2 (4 KOs), had fought exclusively on the regional circuit before facing the 21-year-old Meriwether in a Zuffa Boxing matchup. Meriwether, 10-1 (4 KOs), was the favorite – and rightfully so, as he had an impressive amateur career and looked sharp in his fight in January. Hirsch, 23, had entered with only four amateur fights, but also had spent practically his entire life leading up to the Meriwether bout in the gym. Tony Hirsch Snr had been a notable pro in Oakland, California, who sparred the likes of Andre Ward, and despite his own lack of accomplishments, Hirsch Jnr had more experience than his resume showed.
“I felt underestimated by everybody leading up to the fight,” Hirsch told BoxingScene. “I just wanted to prove people wrong. A lot of people thought I’d lose the fight, and that was my motivation to shut everybody up.”
The bout was Hirsch Jnr’s second with his current manager, Sam Garcia, a second-generation boxing man who is the son of recently deceased boxing trainer Max Garcia. Hirsch spent a month away from his home in Oakland to hold camp in Las Vegas.
“It was a perfect training camp,” Garcia told BoxingScene. “These are the moments that you live for in boxing.”
One of those moments, arguably, came in the Meriwether fight. Hirsch had success early on, but it was in the second round that he found his rhythm, attempting to mirror Meriwether in his own way.
“I felt like he was shocked that I was coming back with everything that he was throwing,” Hirsch said. “Whenever he threw, I would respond with the same number of punches or more.”
Hirsch has no return date set, but he is looking forward to what the future holds. Although the odds of success for Zuffa Boxing are still uncertain, one thing is clear: The recently launched promotion gave Hirsch a valuable opportunity. With limited amateur experience and after fighting on regional fight cards, Hirsch has since become a breakout story in 2026 for rewriting the script and getting the best of an interesting prospect. His upset of Meriwether was fueled by a relentless work ethic.
“I don’t think he was ready for that type of fight,” Hirsch said. “I knew I wanted to outwill him, and I was going…
2026-04-16 01:00:00
