After his highly controversial defeat to Badou Jack, there will be a rematch for the WBC Cruiserweight World Championship belt. In BOXSPORT, Noel Mikaelian talks about dubious judges, his chances in the rematch – and a possible duel against Jake Paul.
Hello Noel, you’re getting a second chance to reclaim the WBC cruiserweight title. What are the parameters?
Nothing has been finally signed yet, but there is an agreement for the rematch. The fight must be officially announced within 30 days of the agreement. Where it will take place is still open – Dubai, England or the USA are currently being discussed. Badou Jack lives in Dubai, so that would be an obvious choice. But Riyadh is probably out this time.
Is there a chance that the fight will take place in Germany?
Rather unlikely. The chances are really very slim – Germany is currently not in the running.
On May 3, you lost to Jack very narrowly on points, even though you threw more punches (301 more) and hit more shots (153 to 122). DAZN commentator Chris Mannix also saw you ahead with 115-113. Tell us your thoughts on this verdict.
Immediately after the fight, I was convinced that I had won – not just me, but also my team. Queensberry promoter Frank Warren signaled to me in the ring that he thought I was ahead by three to four rounds. It was all the more irritating that WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman asked me to show “sportsmanship” before the verdict. What was that supposed to mean? I’ve never had any problems with fair play.
After the verdict was announced, everyone was stunned and outraged: Julio Cesar Chavez Sr, the Mexican boxing legend, said directly: “What’s this crap? You clearly won!” Officials from the IBF, WBO and WBA also saw me ahead. We collected all these votes and submitted the protest. The WBC then …
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Interview by Robin Josten