French heavyweight Tony Yoka makes his comeback in the ring this Saturday, December 9 in the prestigious Parisian venue of Roland-Garros, a legendary tennis venue. Facing the 31-year-old colossus, an opponent with a much better track record in the lower category. Belgian boxer Ryad Merhy, 31, seized a golden opportunity, that of competing at heavyweight, even if his goal is not to stay there for long. The native of Abidjan in Ivory Coast gives RFI his feelings before this big fight, about his opponent and about African boxing.
RFI: Ryad Mehry, a few hours before this fight against French heavyweight Tony Yoka, what state of mind are you in?
Ryad Mehry: I lost my last fight. I was too much in my thoughts and it blocked me. This time, I am much more relaxed. I’m taking this fight very calmly, especially since I’m not in the weight category I’m aiming for. I’m a “little” heavyweight, I come here for the sporting challenge: to face Tony Yoka. I have nothing to lose in the story. I come here just to achieve a bonus in my career. It’s a great showcase, we box at Roland-Garros, it’s an event that will make a lot of noise. I am calm, he has much more to lose in the story than me.
Tony Yoka remains on two consecutive defeats, against the Congolese Martin Bakole then against the Cameroonian Carlos Takam. Is he more dangerous than ever?
It’s hard to say. It can be a very dangerous opponent now, because after two defeats, we always come back with fangs, we have more things to prove. In any case, he did what was necessary around him to perform better. He became closer to his family. In my opinion, he will have a new way of seeing the fight, but he will still have more pressure than me. I think he will put in a great performance. He remains a human being, he has two fists, what will be played out inside the ring is our way of managing our demons.
You are better known in the lower category, that of light heavyweight, you have also won a title, why did you choose to move up to heavyweight?
It was a decision that was made just after my first fight outside of the Covid period. During this period, I gained weight. I was in my thirties and had reached my physical maturity. I had become heavier and I no longer wanted to diet 12 kilos to get below the limit. In addition, I had several fights postponed, I began preparations to end them prematurely. I didn’t want that anymore, because I’m a dad, I have three children. Going on drastic diets with a family is no longer what I wanted. I opted for the easy way, in addition to the WBC (Editor’s note : World Boxing Council, an international federation) had just created a new weight category, the Bridgerweight (from 90 to 101 kilos), it’s a great opportunity for me at 101 kilos to shine. I don’t see myself having a career in heavyweights, you have to remain realistic, I’m 1.81 m tall, my ideal weight is 104-105 kilos. The new generation of heavyweights is 2.10 m for a minimum of 115 kilos. I’m not cut out to box guys like that. I’m aiming for a career at Bridgerweight and then I’ll hang up my gloves.
What is the objective in Bridgerweight, to win the category belt?
A world champion belt then I hang up. I’m still young, but I’m past 30, I have a family so the desire is no longer the same. Family life comes before boxing. I am financially well, my family situation is stable. For some time now, I’ve felt more like a dad than a boxer, and that’s reflected in the way I box. There are decisions to be made before receiving the blow too many.
Some say that Tony Yoka is the favorite for this fight, what do you say?
They are absolutely right. I will see a boxer like me on paper facing Yoka, I will say “But who is this boxer? “. But do these people really know me? I want to be the boxer who will create a surprise. If this fight happened, it’s not for nothing. It’s my time to shine in France before returning to the quest for the Bridgerweight title, because I’m ranked number one. Between boxers, we respect each other and that’s the main thing. We all know the industry, we’ve all been in the ring, the others can’t know. I know his abilities, he knows mine. It’s going to be a great fight.
Do you realize that if you beat Tony Yoka, his career would come to a standstill. Doesn’t that put more pressure on you?
He’s still young, we’re from the same generation. At 31, he’s a young heavyweight so even if he lost, he has years to get back on track and continue his rise. In any case, the category is blocked so the only interest for him at the moment is the ranking and not the quest for a belt, he can forget that for the moment. Yoka would really have to beat a big name to reach this magic square of champions who only compete against each other. I’m not a name so it won’t change anything for him, but he’ll have to get over me already. If he can do that, maybe he’ll have a world chance one day.
You were born in Ivory Coast, you left at a very young age to join Belgium. Do you keep any childhood memories?
I left when I was two years old. I have no memory of the Ivory Coast, I have little flashes. I haven’t been back since. No opportunity presented itself, the context was not simple in recent years. I could have gone back a year ago, but the ups and downs of life meant that I couldn’t leave at that time. But it’s one of my projects, going to Ivory Coast.
How do you judge the level of African heavyweight boxing, are the fighters highlighted as much as the others?
Beyond boxing, there are many African fighters who have enormous talent. But there is a lack of structure and means to be able to elevate them to the rank they deserve. I don’t know enough about the daily life of African boxers, but I think that the lack of light comes from the lack of communication. The world works like that, communication makes people live. With more communication, we could deport these African talents to Europe, for example. The African continent could even become a place with high potential for athletes.
Are the Congolese Martin Bakole and the Cameroonian Carlos Takam, two of Africa’s heavyweight stars, role models for you?
Given that I fought for more than ten years at light heavyweight, I don’t take them as a model. I was still able to see a Carlos Takam fight during a boxing meeting. He explained his journey to me, I have a lot of respect for what he did. He didn’t give up, he fought the greatest and he was never ridiculous. Martin Bakole, I don’t know him that much. He is a fighter who wants to get out and show that Africa has its place in world boxing.
You have already fought in South Africa, but would you like to box one day in Ivory Coast or in a neighboring country?
Of course, it would be an opportunity to reconnect with my country, it would be the most beautiful way. We already have a lot of talks with my manager about fighting in Ivory Coast. As is often the case, there’s a lot of talk, but it doesn’t happen and I had other opportunities in Europe. But why not do one last fight in Ivory Coast, that would be great. I think there will be big fights in Africa again. If we look carefully, there are many boxers who are driven by this desire to highlight the continent. The biggest organizations will want to organize big fights there, and then there are great ambassadors of African boxing.
Another novelty in boxing is the arrival of Saudi Arabia on the scene. Martin Bakole and Carlos Takam faced each other in Riyadh last October. Isn’t it disturbing for African athletes to have to compete in Saudi Arabia rather than in Africa?
They follow the money. We’re all like that, especially when we’re at the end of our career. Take what you need to take to prepare for retirement. The life of a professional boxer is very short, you take hits. By taking this money, perhaps they will develop African things. It seems more like an investment to me.
