Badou Jack: I wanted to fight Stevenson a year ago

Badou Jack obliterated former world champion Nathan Cleverly into retirement in five rounds last Saturday night on the co-main event of Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and snagged the WBA light-heavyweight title in the process. Now, he’s ready for potentially the most significant fight of his career.

Following the bout, Jack, 33, called out WBC light-heavyweight titleholder Adonis Stevenson for a unification match. “I wanted to fight him [Stevenson] a year ago,” Jack told FightNights.com. “I want to fight him because he’s a good fighter. I respect him; he’s got tremendous power.”

Stevenson (29-1, 24 KO’s) is coming off an easy second-round TKO over Andrzej Fonfara in June – a fight that intrigued next to no one. Jack told Showtime’s Jim Gray that he would be willing to travel to Canada to make the fight happen. Stevenson, though, expressed interest on Twitter. “Congrats Badou Jack. Now that you have a belt; I want it. Andre Ward is wasting my time. Let’s fight.”

Stevenson-Jack is an interesting fight not just because of the power these men possess, but also because both of them have been stopped – by the same punch. Stevenson was caught with a flush overhand right from Darnell Boone, in 2010, and the same happened to Jack against Derek Edwards, in 2013. That said, Stevenson-Jack is intriguing with many potential variables.

Jack is younger and quicker, but Stevenson can knockout anyone in a moment’s notice – as demonstrated by his one-punch knockout of Thomas Williams last year, who has never recovered. The former super-middleweight titlist knows how dangerous Stevenson, but he doesn’t care. “I want to test myself against the best,” Jack asserted.

“We’re on the same side of the politics [Al Haymon] in boxing, so that’s a big fight; I would love to fight him.” Stevenson, 39, hasn’t been seriously tested in at least three years, and it could throw a big curveball when he fights Jack.