Badou Jack

Badou “The Ripper” Jack has always been a fighter; as one of eight children, you’d likely find him on any given day roughhousing with his siblings. Born in Stockholm, Sweden, Badou Jack is half Gambian, half Swedish, which gives him a fiery passion that you won’t see in many other boxers. Badou knew from an early age that he wanted to box, and the moment he was eligible for the amateur league at the age of 18, he signed up. Badou racked up an impressive 150-25 record while in the amateur league, earning a reputation as a fighter who can go the entire distance with his opponents and come out the victor. In 2007, Badou received the highest recognition an amateur boxer in Sweden can get, as he won the Boxer of the Year award from the Swedish Boxing Federation. He followed up this accomplishment by boxing in the 2008 Olympic Games for the country of Gambia.

In 2009, Badou Jack finally made the decision to go pro. After winning his first fight by unanimous decision, he easily won his next four fights with a combination of KOs and TKOs. A chance meeting with former heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs would lead to the opportunity of a lifetime, as Jack would earn a chance to train with Briggs in the United States. Feeling that he had gone as far as he could go in Sweden, Badou jumped at the opportunity to train with Briggs and fight the best fighters the United States could throw at him.

Badou continued his win streak in the United States, easily overcoming his next six opponents, including the previously undefeated Alexander Brand by a split decision. With an impressive 11-0 record, Badou caught the eye of boxing legend Floyd Mayweather, who extended him the offer to join Mayweather Promotions. Naturally, Badou jumped at the chance to join this prestigious group. After racking up another handful of victories in the ring, Badou won the opportunity to challenge Marco Antonio Periban for the NABF super middleweight championship.

Unfortunately, this fight would end in a majority draw, which would send Badou into a bit of a downward spiral. While Badou won his next fight, the fight after against Derek Edwards would result in Jack’s first loss. Edwards not only won but won in the first round with a TKO; the astonished audience couldn’t believe the flurry of punches that Edwards was landing on Jack. Nobody expected Edwards to win, and as a result, the fight received the Upset of the Year award in 2014.

After taking a few months off to train, Badou Jack came back stronger than ever. After amassing a few more wins, Badou earned the opportunity to fight against Anthony Dirrell for the WBC Super Middleweight championship. Like Jack’s previous title fight, this one was also an upset, except this time it was in Jack’s favor. Badou exposed a major weakness in Dirrell’s inside game and took control of the fight, eventually winning by majority decision. Badou would hold the title until January 17, 2017, when he would officially vacate it to move to the light heavyweight decision, as he felt that there were no more challenges for him in his current division.