Badou Jack’s Next Endeavor & This Helps Makabu
Jack vs Makabu - Feb. 2023
By Eddie Sanchez
Former WBC Cruiserweight champ Badou Jack, 38, plans to enter the “Bridgerweight” division, introduced by the WBC in 2020. It’s worth noting that the “Bridgerweight” division is recognized by the WBC but not by other major sanctioning bodies like the WBO, WBA, and IBF.
This new class accommodates smaller heavyweights, with a weight maximum of 224 pounds, as opposed to the traditional heavyweight limit, which does not have a max. For context, Tyson Fury weighed 277.7 pounds in his fight last week against Francis Ngannou.
Jack (28-3-3, 17 KOs) stated, “I got a couple of fights left, and I’m working on something big. Hopefully, we can announce it soon. There’s a new weight class — bridgerweight, that’s one of them. It looks like that’s going to happen next.”
The current bridgerweight champion is Poland’s Lukasz Rozanski, who won the title in April. Rozanski’s name has circulated over the past few months as a likely opponent for Jack, which would offer Jack an opportunity to earn a championship belt in a fourth weight class.
In his last fight, Badou Jack stunningly dominated and knocked out Ilunga Makabu in the 11th found of their February fight, which ended the possibility of Makabu facing the likes of Canelo Alvarez.
Jack showed little to no interest in staging a fight against himself and Alvarez and has gone so far as to show no interest in defending his belt, as he vacated the cruiserweight championship in September.
With the WBC Cruiserweight belt vacated, Ilunga Makabu has the chance to win back the WBC cruiserweight this weekend.
He will face Noel Mikaelian on Saturday in Miami as the pair contest the vacant strap in celebration of Don King’s 92nd birthday. If Makabu is successful, it’s possible his name could once again circulate in the Canelo Alvarez sweepstakes.
As for Badou Jack’s next move, fans will have to take his advice and “stay tuned.”
