WBC world cruiserweight champion Badou Jack is set to enter an immediate rematch with Noel Mikaelian, whose appeal, filed by veteran promoter Don King, was reportedly successful.
According to Yahoo Sports, the WBC ordered their second encounter yesterday afternoon, affording the pair just short of one month to reach a deal.
Should both teams fail to agree on terms before the deadline, however, the sanctioning body is then poised to organise a purse bid hearing for July 1.
Their first fight, meanwhile, saw multi-division world champion Jack, 29-3-3 (17 KOs), emerge with a controversial majority decision victory at the beginning of last month.
In doing so, the 41-year-old ended a lengthy hiatus, lasting just over 26 months, which ignited shortly after he dethroned Illunga Makabu for the green and gold strap.
During that time, ‘The Ripper’ served a prolonged spell as the WBC ‘champion in recess’ while Mikaelian, 27-3 (12 KOs), on the other hand, claimed the title with a points victory over Makabu in 2023.
However, a role reversal ultimately saw the WBC reinstate Jack as its full champion, leaving Mikaelian, who was embroiled in his promotional dispute with King, waiting in the wings.
As for his comeback fight, Jack was supposed to face Ryan Rozicki, but following an injury to the mandatory challenger, Mikaelian emerged as a late replacement for their May 3 clash.
Since then, the 34-year-old has seemingly made amends with notorious promoter King, who, at this late stage in his storied career, will no doubt be looking to secure their rematch.
Given the lacklustre performances produced by both men last month, though, a sequel is highly unlikely to capture the imagination of fans.
