Badou Jack Edges Norair Mikaelian in Grueling Cruiserweight Battle on Canelo-Scull Undercard
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 04 May 2025
In a tactical and hard-fought WBC cruiserweight title bout, Badou Jack (29-3-3, 17 KOs) narrowly outpointed Norair Mikaelian (27-3, 12 KOs) by majority decision in the co-main event of the Canelo Álvarez vs. John Scull card at Kingdom Arena Saturday night (Sunday in Manila) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The judges scored the fight 115-113 (Pablo Gonzalez), 114-114 (Nobuto Ikehara), and 115-113 (Jose Manzur) in favor of Jack, who retained his WBC cruiserweight title in a fight that saw both men struggle to impose dominance.
The early rounds were cautious, with both fighters probing with jabs and hesitant to commit to power shots. Mikaelian, the Armenian challenger, found slight success with right hands and body flurries, while Jack relied on his experience and counterpunching.
The fight picked up in Round 3, with Mikaelian increasing his volume, landing sharp right hands and body combinations. Jack responded with well-timed counters, but Mikaelian’s activity gave him the edge in the early going.
By the middle rounds, The Sweden-born Jack, clearly the crowd favorite as he established his residence in nearby Dubai, began digging to Mikaelian’s body, slowing down the challenger and forcing him into defensive shelling. The fight turned into a rough, clinch-heavy affair, with both men engaging in dirty boxing and late shots after the bell.
Round 8 saw Jack take control, landing clean right hands as Mikaelian’s output dipped. The champion also capitalized on Mikaelian’s reluctance to engage, smothering him in clinches and landing short hooks inside.
The championship rounds saw Mikaelian rally, landing sharp flurries in Round 12 that had Jack momentarily on the defensive. However, Jack’s experience and ring generalship proved decisive, as he stole key moments with well-placed counters.
A low blow from Jack in Round 11 drew a warning from referee Héctor Afu, but it wasn’t enough to sway the judges, who ultimately favored the champion’s slightly cleaner work.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Dong Secuya.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Round 12 with Mauricio Sulaiman: Boxing—A Spectacle of Masses and Millennial Stages
By Mauricio Sulaimán, Tue, 03 Mar 2026Golden Boy Promotions Vs Virgil Ortiz Jr going to arbitration?
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Tue, 03 Mar 2026Boxlab Promotions Signs Undefeated Nicaraguan Knockout Artist Jordan “La Cobrita” Orozco
Tue, 03 Mar 2026STACKED MARCH 14 UNDERCARD SHOWCASES GOLDEN BOY’S NEXT GENERATION OF CHAMPIONS
Tue, 03 Mar 2026The Perfect Boxing Prospect 12-0 Marco Romero
Tue, 03 Mar 2026Quietly formidable boxers Kristian Prenga & Pyrce Taylor continue Their assault on the heavyweight division
Tue, 03 Mar 2026“Prince” Albert Pagara Flies to Perth for WBC Australasia Title Fight
By Carlos Costa, Mon, 02 Mar 2026Ryan Daye vows a dominant standout performance in WBC title Clash March 13 in Perth Thunderdome 53
Mon, 02 Mar 2026Moncal, Mag-aso rule Legacy Run
By Lito delos Reyes, Mon, 02 Mar 2026Lavant Brownlee Earns Gold, Lorenzo Patricio Earns Silver at Strandja 2026 Boxing Tournament
Mon, 02 Mar 2026Influencer Brooklyn Barwick Disputes hometown decision for NBA Americas Featherweight title
Mon, 02 Mar 2026HALL OF FAMER WINKY WRIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN 2026 HALL OF FAME INDUCTION WEEKEND FESTIVITIES
Mon, 02 Mar 2026Reyes Siblings New Champions in US chess tourney
Mon, 02 Mar 2026Lorenzo Parra Delivers Stunning Second-Round Knockout at Sold-Out Manny Pacquiao Promotions Event at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y.
Sun, 01 Mar 2026Almacen Bros Score Knockout Wins in Exciting Brico Santig Show in Thailand Live on TrillerTV
By Carlos Costa, Sun, 01 Mar 2026