WBC orders Badou Jack vs. Noel Mikaelyan immediate title rematch after controversial decision
The WBC ordered an immediate rematch between Badou Jack and Noel Mikaelyan for Jack's cruiserweight championship on Monday afternoon, after a successful appeal from Mikaelyan's promoter, Don King Productions.
If the pair is unable to reach a deal for their ordered title bout, a purse bid hearing will commence on July 1.
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Jack won a controversial majority decision (114-114, 115-113, 115-113) over Mikaelyan on the Saul "Canelo" Alvarez vs. William Scull undercard in Riyadh this past month.
Mikaelyan out-landed Jack 153 to 122 in total punches over 12 rounds. DAZN's Chris Mannix on the live broadcast had Mikaelyan in front — as did Uncrowned's unofficial scorecard and the majority of viewers at home — however the judges decided differently at the conclusion of 36 minutes.
This led to Mikaelyan and his team filing an appeal with the WBC over the decision — and in a rare move, the WBC granted the request for an immediate rematch.
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Mikaelyan (27-3, 12 KOs), who stepped in on three weeks' notice to replace the injured Ryan Rozicki, has been on the wrong end of debatable decisions before. The Armenian-born German fighter lost a controversial split decision to Krzysztof Wlodarczyk in 2017, and his efforts were grossly under-appreciated in a unanimous decision defeat to Mairis Briedis the following year.
Mikaelyan stopped Ilunga Junior Makabu in three rounds to capture the WBC cruiserweight crown in November 2023 but was stripped of the belt after a promotional dispute with Don King. This led to the WBC reinstating Jack (29-3-3, 17 KOs), the champion in recess at the time, as the full champion.
When Mikaelyan stepped in to replace Rozicki and face Jack in May, a saga spanning two years at cruiserweight seemed like it was finally reaching a conclusion. But now with the WBC's ruling, there will inevitably be even more holdups to unification bouts being made involving the WBC cruiserweight title.
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