Badou Jack has achieved a lot in his career, but he’s not done yet, with the Swede setting his sights on a showdown with Jai Opetaia or Gilberto Ramirez.
‘The Ripper’ has proven his skills in the boxing ring beyond doubt, winning world titles in three weight divisions.
Badou Jack wants his WBC title back
Badou Jack hasn’t set foot through the ropes since stopping Ilunga Makabu for WBC cruiserweight gold back in February 2023.
As the current champion in recess, the 41-year-old intends on heading to Hamburg, Germany, on December 8, for the sanctioning body’s convention, to determine what he’ll do next.
Noel Mikealian is currently the reigning WBC champion, but Jack believes rather than facing the Armenian-German, he could instead be ordered to go head-to-head with either Ryan Rozicki or Yamil Peralta.
The combat sports legend recently sat down to discuss his future on an episode of the George Groves Boxing Club podcast.
Sheesh: Chris Eubank Jr to take massive world title clash over Conor Benn fight
He said: “The WBC put me as a champion in recess while I was going to fight for the bridgerweight title. Now, I’ve exercised that champion in recess, so I’m going to head to the convention in a few weeks, and they can decide who I’m going to fight.
“Maybe it will be the champion or the mandatory and do an interim title for those guys. I’m ready to fight whoever. I’ll fight one on Friday and one on Saturday.
“I guess it will be either me against Mikaelyan or there is a Canadian dude [Rozicki] fighting a guy from Argentina [Peralta] for the interim belt. I think I’ll fight one of those three guys – but it doesn’t matter to me.”
Badou Jack wants Jai Opetaia or Gilberto Ramirez
Currently, the cruiserweight division is rife with options, as Jai Opetaia holds the IBF belt, while Gilberto Ramirez has the WBA and WBO.
Therefore, it goes without saying that Jack would love the opportunity to trade leather with either champion.
He explained: “I’ll fight one of those guys in the WBC rankings, then Opetaia and Ramirez unify the belts, and I fight the winner for the undisputed.”
WOW: Daniel Dubois once punched well-known heavyweight boxer so hard he ‘snapped his ankle’