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Get To Know Super Middleweight
Champion Badou Jack
Super middleweight world champion Badou Jack has endured a
long road on the way to his highly anticipated super
middleweight world championship unification showdown against
James DeGale taking place Saturday, January 14 from Barclays
Center in Brooklyn and live on SHOWTIME.
Jack comes from a unique background for a boxer but has
persevered through the same struggles that professional
fighters face every day. He’s faced obstacles that few are
able to overcome and now, with a huge SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP
BOXING main event looming, Jack is on the cusp of stardom.
Take a look below at some interesting facts that have led
Jack to his January 14 showdown:
1. Jack was born in Sweden to a Swedish mother and Gambian
father. He has six siblings -- two older sisters, two
younger sisters and two younger brothers.
2. He started boxing on his own curiosity and has already
gotten some of his younger siblings interested in training.
Professional boxing was banned in Sweden from 1969 through
2007
3. Began boxing in 2000 and took quickly to the sport before
starting his international amateur career.
4. Qualified for the 2008 Olympics for Gambia. He remains
the only boxer to ever represent the country in the Olympics
and was the flag-bearer and one of three athletes to
represent Gambia at the Beijing games.
5. Jack is the first Swedish-born man to hold a boxing world
title since Armand Krajnc held a middleweight title in 2001.
The only other Swedish-born world champion was Ingemar
Johansson, who famously won the heavyweight world title by
knocking Floyd Patterson down seven times in one round on
his way to a stoppage in 1959.
6. Came to the U.S. to pursue boxing after the Olympics and
first began training at Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn.
7. Was discovered by former heavyweight world champion
Shannon Briggs and he temporarily moved to Miami to work
with Briggs. He maintains a close relationship with Briggs
today.
8. After moving to Las Vegas, Jack met Floyd Mayweather in
2012 while sparring Andre Dirrell and eventually signed with
Mayweather Promotions.
9. After winning his world title in 2015, he was a finalist
for the Swedish Athlete of the Year.
10. He traveled to Gambia earlier this year and last year,
along with Ishe Smith, to deliver training equipment and
other donations to the country.
The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® doubleheader begins at
9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT with junior lightweight world
champion Jose Pedraza taking on undefeated contender
Gervonta Davis.
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