By Ian S Palmer
Former super middleweight and light-heavyweight champion Badou Jack of Sweden takes his show back on the road again this Saturday, August 20th when he takes on unbeaten Richard Rivera of Hartford, Connecticut in a 10-round light-heavyweight tilt. The fight is on the undercard of the Oleksandr vs Anthony Joshua rematch in Saudi Arabia and can be seen on Sky Box Office in the UK and DAZN pay per view in America and most other nations. Jack last fought in May when he stopped Hany Atiyo in just 46 seconds in a cruiserweight bout. Rivera last fought in April when he halted Fidel Munoz in the third round.
The 38-year-old Jack fights out of Las Vegas and owns a record of 26-3-3 with 16 Ko’s. He’s a former WBC Super Middleweight Titleholder who then won the WBA Light Heavyweight Title by stopping Nathan Cleverly in the fifth round in August, 2017. Jack possesses a good jab, decent and underrated power and is a good counterpuncher. He’s not a spectacular boxer, but is a very solid one.
His first defeat came at the hands of Derek Edwards via a first-round stoppage in February and he didn’t taste defeat again until January, 2019 when he lost a 12-round unanimous decision to Marcus Browne for the interim WBA, and the vacant WBC Silver Light-heavyweight Titles. He then dropped a controversial decision to Jean Pascal in his very next fight 11 months later. He’s now won five of his last nine fights, including four in a row, with two defeats and two draws.
Jack fought to a majority draw with Adonis Stevenson in a shot at the WBC Light Heavyweight Crown in May, 2018 and also drew with James DeGale over 12 rounds in January, 2017 in an IBF and WBC Super Middleweight Title tilt. The other draw on his record was a 10-round affair with Marco Antonio Periban in September, 2013. Jack’s biggest career victories have been over Cleverly, George Groves, Lucian Bute, Anthony Dirrell and Rogelio Medina.
Jack stands 6-feet-1-inch tall with a 73-inch reach and is a former Olympian who has boxed 198 rounds since making his pro debut back in 2009. He has a solid chin as well as plenty of heart and determination and carries around a current knockout ratio of 50 per cent. He has enough power to hurt and drop anybody and has stopped his last three opponents after going the distance in his four previous outings.
Rivera is 31 years old and carries a perfect record of 21-0 with 16 Ko’s. He’s boxed 80 rounds since making his pro debut in 2017 following a relatively short amateur career. He stands six-feet tall with an unlisted reach s gives up an inch in height to Jack. He possesses impressive power in his fists with a current knockout ratio of 72.7 per cent.
Since turning pro, Rivera has captured the vacant Universal Boxing Federation All America Light Heavyweight Title as well as the vacant American Boxing Federation Continental Americas Cruiserweight Belt. He’s definitely stepping up in class this weekend as 14 of Rivera’s 21 opponents entered the ring with losing records and two others were making their pro debuts.
Prediction…
Jack is still a world-class boxer but after moving up close to 200 lbs in his last two fights this is being billed as a light heavyweight tilt. Rivera has also fought as a cruiserweight before so I’m not really sure what weight this is being fought at. It likely won’t really matter though as Jack’s experience should see him through it as long as he doesn’t get caught by Rivera’s power. As long as Jack is well prepared as usual he should have his hand raised on Saturday.
