NOEL MIKAELIAN LANDS ANOTHER SHOT AT BADOU JACK AFTER WBC ORDERS REMATCH
The WBC announced Monday it has ordered an immediate cruiserweight title rematch between champion Badou Jack and Noel Mikaelian following Jack’s disputed decision win last month in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Jack (29-3-3, 17 KOs) retained his title via majority decision (114-114, 115-113 and 115-113) in the chief-support bout to Canelo Alvarez-William Scull. Mikaelian filed an appeal with the WBC following the decision. Now, the sides have until July 1 to strike a deal before a purse bid is ordered.
“The world knows I won the first fight, that’s why I’m getting the rematch,” Mikaelian, 34, told The Ring. “On just three weeks’ notice, across three countries and time zones, and with less than a day’s notice that the fight would be moved from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m., he still couldn’t beat me.
“I’m still the champ, and with a full camp and the proper preparation, I’m going to prove it without question.”
Mikaelian (27-3, 12 KOs) accepted the fight after Ryan Rozicki was injured. Armenia’s Mikaelian never lost his title in the ring, either. He was named champion in recess by the WBC last year after multiple cancellations for a defense vs. Rozicki due to injury and promotional issues.
Jack, 41, was fighting for the first time 27 months. The Swede is a former 168-pound champion.
Badou Jack vs. Noel Mikaelian II - WBC ordered Rematch
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Re: Badou Jack vs. Noel Mikaelian II - WBC ordered Rematch
Badou Jack-Noel Mikaelyan rematch heads to July 15 purse bid
The ordered rematch between Badou Jack and Noel Mikaelyan is now subject to the highest bidder.
A July 15 purse bid hearing will determine promotional rights for the abovementioned WBC cruiserweight title fight. The two sides failed to reach terms in the 30-day negotiation period that was assigned on June 2, which forced this next step.
Jack, 29-3-3 (17 KOs), won their first meeting via majority decision on May 4 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The title fight served as the chief support for the Saul “Canelo” Alvarez-William Scull undisputed super middleweight championship.
Mikaelyan, 27-3 (12 KOs), was an unexpected challenger when he accepted the fight on three weeks’ notice in place of injured mandatory challenger Ryan Rozicki, 20-1-1 (19 KOs). The risk was not sufficiently rewarded, as many viewers believed Mikaelyan – who outlanded Jack 153-122, according to Compubox – deserved the nod.
It was certainly close enough for the WBC to grant a request in a filed appeal by Mikaelyan that called for an immediate rematch.
Should the second act move forward, Mikaelyan will be afforded a full camp for the opportunity to regain the title he held from November 2023 through last December. A legal dispute with Hall of Fame promoter Don King put Mikaelyan on the shelf, which prompted the WBC to downgrade him to “champion in recess.”
That designation was previously assigned to Jack, whose prior title reign was restored as a result.
Jack – a 2008 Olympian for Sweden who is now based in Dubai – won the WBC cruiserweight belt in a February 2023 12th-round knockout win over Ilunga “Junior” Makabu to become a three-division titlist. His reign was short-lived, as he vacated the title to pursue a shot at the WBC’s bridgerweight title.
The opportunity never materialized, though he was fortunate to return to the 200lbs division at a time when his old belt was up for grabs.
Mikaelyan won the vacant belt in a third-round knockout of Makabu atop a November 2023 card in his adopted hometown of Miami.
Like his predecessor, Mikaeylan saw his reign ended without a single defense, although one was scheduled – several times over. He was due to face Rozicki in a mandatory title defense, but it was repeatedly postponed due to an assortment of issues.
Eventually, Mikaelyan was revealed to be in litigation with King, at which point the WBC had him swap places with Jack and assume the champion in recess tag.
Jack previously held titles at super middleweight and light heavyweight. His reinstatement as WBC cruiserweight titlist initially came with the condition that he next face Rozicki.
The matter went to a purse bid hearing, which was won by Three Lions Promotions and originally budgeted for a late April date in Rozicki’s hometown of Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. Turki Alalshikh – head of Riyadh Season – intervened on behalf of Jack and added a six-figure sum to the total pot to relocate the fight to Riyadh.
It remains to be seen if Alalshikh, boxing’s biggest current financier, will find a home for the rematch or if it will land with another promoter.
Waiting in the wings is Poland’s Michal Cieslak, who claimed the WBC interim cruiserweight title in a recent fourth-round knockout of Jean Pascal. Should Jack-Mikaelyan II not move forward for any reason, Cieslak will be in position to challenge for the full version of the title.
The ordered rematch between Badou Jack and Noel Mikaelyan is now subject to the highest bidder.
A July 15 purse bid hearing will determine promotional rights for the abovementioned WBC cruiserweight title fight. The two sides failed to reach terms in the 30-day negotiation period that was assigned on June 2, which forced this next step.
Jack, 29-3-3 (17 KOs), won their first meeting via majority decision on May 4 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The title fight served as the chief support for the Saul “Canelo” Alvarez-William Scull undisputed super middleweight championship.
Mikaelyan, 27-3 (12 KOs), was an unexpected challenger when he accepted the fight on three weeks’ notice in place of injured mandatory challenger Ryan Rozicki, 20-1-1 (19 KOs). The risk was not sufficiently rewarded, as many viewers believed Mikaelyan – who outlanded Jack 153-122, according to Compubox – deserved the nod.
It was certainly close enough for the WBC to grant a request in a filed appeal by Mikaelyan that called for an immediate rematch.
Should the second act move forward, Mikaelyan will be afforded a full camp for the opportunity to regain the title he held from November 2023 through last December. A legal dispute with Hall of Fame promoter Don King put Mikaelyan on the shelf, which prompted the WBC to downgrade him to “champion in recess.”
That designation was previously assigned to Jack, whose prior title reign was restored as a result.
Jack – a 2008 Olympian for Sweden who is now based in Dubai – won the WBC cruiserweight belt in a February 2023 12th-round knockout win over Ilunga “Junior” Makabu to become a three-division titlist. His reign was short-lived, as he vacated the title to pursue a shot at the WBC’s bridgerweight title.
The opportunity never materialized, though he was fortunate to return to the 200lbs division at a time when his old belt was up for grabs.
Mikaelyan won the vacant belt in a third-round knockout of Makabu atop a November 2023 card in his adopted hometown of Miami.
Like his predecessor, Mikaeylan saw his reign ended without a single defense, although one was scheduled – several times over. He was due to face Rozicki in a mandatory title defense, but it was repeatedly postponed due to an assortment of issues.
Eventually, Mikaelyan was revealed to be in litigation with King, at which point the WBC had him swap places with Jack and assume the champion in recess tag.
Jack previously held titles at super middleweight and light heavyweight. His reinstatement as WBC cruiserweight titlist initially came with the condition that he next face Rozicki.
The matter went to a purse bid hearing, which was won by Three Lions Promotions and originally budgeted for a late April date in Rozicki’s hometown of Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. Turki Alalshikh – head of Riyadh Season – intervened on behalf of Jack and added a six-figure sum to the total pot to relocate the fight to Riyadh.
It remains to be seen if Alalshikh, boxing’s biggest current financier, will find a home for the rematch or if it will land with another promoter.
Waiting in the wings is Poland’s Michal Cieslak, who claimed the WBC interim cruiserweight title in a recent fourth-round knockout of Jean Pascal. Should Jack-Mikaelyan II not move forward for any reason, Cieslak will be in position to challenge for the full version of the title.
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Re: Badou Jack vs. Noel Mikaelian II - WBC ordered Rematch
Noel Mikaelyan won’t step aside to let Jake Paul face Badou Jack next
If Jake Paul is going to challenge Badou Jack for a world title, it won’t be until after Noel Mikaelyan faces Jack for a second time.
Don King Productions, which promotes Mikaelyan, issued a press release saying that they were “denying Jake Paul’s request” for Mikaelyan to step aside.
It’s unclear whether Paul’s team officially requested this of Mikaelyan and King. But Nakisa Bidarian, who runs Most Valuable Promotions alongside Paul, recently discussed their desire for a Jack fight on an episode of The Ariel Helwani Show.
“Jake wants to fight for a belt as soon as possible,” Bidarian said. “I think it’s tough this year, ’cause Badou Jack, who’s who he wants to fight more so than anyone, has a mandatory rematch with the guy he just beat for the WBC.”
Jack stopped Ilunga Makabu in February 2023 to capture the WBC cruiserweight title. He went more than two years without defending it and was named “champion in recess” as he pondered a move to the bridgerweight division.
Mikaelyan won the vacant WBC title in November 2023 with a third-round TKO of Makabu. But Mikaelyan was unable to defend against Ryan Rozicki in 2024, and Jack, who hadn’t fought since, wanted to return to the ring. So Mikaelyan and Jack changed places, Jack being reinstated as the WBC titleholder while Mikaelyan became the “champion in recess.”
Jack vs. Rozicki was originally supposed to be part of the May 3 undercard to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs. William Scull. When Rozicki got injured in training camp, Mikaelyan stepped in.
Jack outpointed Mikaelyan via narrow majority decision – 115-113 on two scorecards, 114-114 on the third. Mikaelyan’s team successfully appealed to the WBC, which ordered an immediate rematch. A purse bid is scheduled for July 15.
Meanwhile, Michal Cieslak scored a fourth-round TKO over Jean Pascal in June for the WBC’s vacant interim cruiserweight title. He won’t move immediately toward a fight with the winner of Jack-Mikaelyan II. Instead, the WBC has mandated that Cieslak must first face Yamil Peralta.
“The WBC wouldn’t even be able [to] sanction the matchup [with Badou Jack], as Paul is not currently ranked by the WBC,” said Don King’s press release.
For now. The WBC could always insert Paul into its rankings. But there is another potential route for Paul to get a title shot.
Paul recently entered the WBA’s cruiserweight rankings at No. 14 after his decision win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr. The unified WBA and WBO titleholder is Gilberto Ramirez, who outpointed Yuniel Dorticos on the Paul-Chavez undercard.
However, the outcry over Paul’s ranking led the sanctioning body to say it would review its decision during its next convention, which is scheduled for July 15-18, according to Ring Magazine.
If Jake Paul is going to challenge Badou Jack for a world title, it won’t be until after Noel Mikaelyan faces Jack for a second time.
Don King Productions, which promotes Mikaelyan, issued a press release saying that they were “denying Jake Paul’s request” for Mikaelyan to step aside.
It’s unclear whether Paul’s team officially requested this of Mikaelyan and King. But Nakisa Bidarian, who runs Most Valuable Promotions alongside Paul, recently discussed their desire for a Jack fight on an episode of The Ariel Helwani Show.
“Jake wants to fight for a belt as soon as possible,” Bidarian said. “I think it’s tough this year, ’cause Badou Jack, who’s who he wants to fight more so than anyone, has a mandatory rematch with the guy he just beat for the WBC.”
Jack stopped Ilunga Makabu in February 2023 to capture the WBC cruiserweight title. He went more than two years without defending it and was named “champion in recess” as he pondered a move to the bridgerweight division.
Mikaelyan won the vacant WBC title in November 2023 with a third-round TKO of Makabu. But Mikaelyan was unable to defend against Ryan Rozicki in 2024, and Jack, who hadn’t fought since, wanted to return to the ring. So Mikaelyan and Jack changed places, Jack being reinstated as the WBC titleholder while Mikaelyan became the “champion in recess.”
Jack vs. Rozicki was originally supposed to be part of the May 3 undercard to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs. William Scull. When Rozicki got injured in training camp, Mikaelyan stepped in.
Jack outpointed Mikaelyan via narrow majority decision – 115-113 on two scorecards, 114-114 on the third. Mikaelyan’s team successfully appealed to the WBC, which ordered an immediate rematch. A purse bid is scheduled for July 15.
Meanwhile, Michal Cieslak scored a fourth-round TKO over Jean Pascal in June for the WBC’s vacant interim cruiserweight title. He won’t move immediately toward a fight with the winner of Jack-Mikaelyan II. Instead, the WBC has mandated that Cieslak must first face Yamil Peralta.
“The WBC wouldn’t even be able [to] sanction the matchup [with Badou Jack], as Paul is not currently ranked by the WBC,” said Don King’s press release.
For now. The WBC could always insert Paul into its rankings. But there is another potential route for Paul to get a title shot.
Paul recently entered the WBA’s cruiserweight rankings at No. 14 after his decision win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr. The unified WBA and WBO titleholder is Gilberto Ramirez, who outpointed Yuniel Dorticos on the Paul-Chavez undercard.
However, the outcry over Paul’s ranking led the sanctioning body to say it would review its decision during its next convention, which is scheduled for July 15-18, according to Ring Magazine.
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Sendo Takeshi
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Re: Badou Jack vs. Noel Mikaelian II - WBC ordered Rematch
I could actually see him beating an aging fighter like Jack or even Mikaelian if Jake is in peak form.
If one of those fights happens, he might have a legitimate shot.
I don’t think he needs the WBA ranking anyway. He should absolutely avoid Ramírez for obvious reasons.
The WBC could give him a ranking at any time anyway.
He’ll definitely hold the belt hostage as soon as the Opetaia/Ramírez winner tries to unify, which would be a shame.
Though after that, he could go for a Bridgerweight title. Even if all of that sounds kind of ridiculous.
If one of those fights happens, he might have a legitimate shot.
I don’t think he needs the WBA ranking anyway. He should absolutely avoid Ramírez for obvious reasons.
The WBC could give him a ranking at any time anyway.
He’ll definitely hold the belt hostage as soon as the Opetaia/Ramírez winner tries to unify, which would be a shame.
Though after that, he could go for a Bridgerweight title. Even if all of that sounds kind of ridiculous.