From the boy on the bench to champion.
The bench
At twelve, Mert weighs around 62 kilograms. On the football pitch he mostly sits on the bench and loses his enjoyment of the sport. His uncle eventually brings him to boxing at BuS Dinslaken.
The first fight
The start is tough: he loses 17 of his first 20 fights. Many would have quit. He keeps going, works on every mistake, and loses around 14 kilograms along the way.
“The early defeats ultimately just made me hungrier.”
Hard work
His coaches don't see an exceptional talent in him, but rather enormous discipline, dedication to training and the ability to learn from every defeat. That is exactly what starts to pay off.
NRW State Champion
The first title: for the first time, Mert becomes state champion in North Rhine-Westphalia. The boy who lost almost every fight has become a winner.
The first medal
Bronze at the German Championship: the first medal at national level. Mert is now among the best of his age group.
Silver
2nd place at the German Championship. The silver medal shows: the title is within reach.
German Champion
German Champion in the light welterweight division, and with it a place on the German national team. Five years after 17 wins in 20 fights, Mert is at the very top.
2nd Bundesliga
Start in the 2nd Bundesliga for Bremerhaven: five fights, four wins. For the first time, Mert boxes week after week at league level against the best in the country.
1st Bundesliga
Move to Velberter BC in the 1st Bundesliga. At the same time, Mert boxes for the German national team and represents Germany at international tournaments.
Police officer
In September 2019, Mert begins dual studies as a police commissioner trainee with the Police NRW and is recognized by the Ministry of the Interior as an elite police athlete. Studies and competitive sport go hand in hand. He graduates in 2022 and has been a police officer ever since.
European Championship
After around 140 amateur fights, Mert represents Germany as the number 1 in his weight class at the European Championship in Armenia.
Professional debut
Move to the professional ranks: Mert starts his professional career. At his side are coach Salih Yildirim and coach Sven Hoffmann, with whom he works at Boxteam Duisburg.
WBO Youth Champion
Ten professional fights, ten wins, undefeated. A story that is not about talent, but about the ability to get back up, again and again.
Events
Past Fights