“From the first round, you will understand what is going to happen.” Before his fight against the Belgian Ryad Merhy, in a ring placed in the middle of the Philippe-Chatrier court at Roland-Garros, Tony Yoka had great ambitions. In the midst of his reconquest mission, the Frenchman wanted to prove that he was still a big name in boxing. What a failure! This Saturday evening, the 2016 Rio Olympic champion was beaten on points by his opponent (96-94 unanimously by the three judges), although he was smaller and lighter than him.
The first rounds were relatively balanced, with the two men alternating sequences. Ryad Merhy was the first to accelerate, in the fourth round, managing to break the distance to hit the Frenchman multiple times. But in the overheated atmosphere of Roland-Garros, and motivated by his coach, Don Charles, Tony Yoka regained his distance, taking advantage of his reach and his direct left.
A fine tactician, the Belgian continued to find openings, using his speed to counter the Frenchman’s attempts. But the Olympic champion never stopped moving forward, continuing to be active and touching his opponent. Halfway through the fight, the result was still particularly undecided.
Tony Yoka: “I don’t understand this decision”
More consistent but not very sharp, Tony Yoka managed to control the fight, keeping Ryad Merhy at bay. “He’s only looking for one shot,” Don Charles warned between each round. Smaller, the Belgian had to actually count on his counterattacks and his striking power to win. And he succeeded brilliantly, performing several particularly sharp sequences, without however bringing down his opponent. The victory ultimately came down to the decision of the judges, who favored the Belgian, more active than his opponent.
Before this fight, Tony Yoka already suffered two defeats, in May 2022 against Martin Bakole and in March 2023 against Carlos Takam, and absolutely had to get back on track. To regain his former level, which had allowed him to win the Olympic title, the Frenchman had chosen to change coaches and follow the advice of Don Charles, Daniel Dubois’s coach, in London. However, this was not enough to secure a victory for his return after nine months without competition.
It must be said that his opponent was not a novice. With 31 victories in 33 fights and several international belts to his credit, Ryad Merhy had the qualities necessary to shake up the Frenchman. Despite the difference in size, weight (6 kg) and the speed of execution of Tony Yoka, the Belgian was able to find solutions to hit his opponent, multiplying combinations between the body and the face. Disappointed by this new defeat, Tony Yoka seemed surprised by the unanimous decision of the judges: “I don’t understand this decision,” he confided.
