Pete Dobson ‘a great next step’ for Jalil Hackett, says fighter’s father-trainer

Bernard Hackett, the father and trainer of Jalil Hackett, believes Pete Dobson is an ideal next opponent for his son.

We’ll find out when Jalil Hackett squares off against Dobson on Saturday at the Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia in an undercard fight supporting the Jaron Ennis-David Avanesyan main event.

Dobson (16-1, 12 KOs), of the Bronx, New York, last fought Conor Benn in February. Despite losing, the 34-year-old Dobson put on a solid performance. Hackett (8-0, 7 KOs), 21, from Washington, D.C., aims to be active both in the ring and in the public spotlight.

“For me, I look at Pete Dobson as the great next step for Jalil,” Bernard Hackett told BoxingScene. “Pete’s been around the block. Don’t look at Pete’s record and think he’s a new fighter – he’s not.

“At some point in time, you have to step up and see where you’re at. Sometimes it is in a perfect situation, and sometimes it is not, but you still have to see where you are.”

The bout also gives the elder Hackett a sense of déjà vu because Dobson is similar to Jalil’s last opponent.

“He reminds me of Adrian Gutierrez,” he said. “He was 16-1 and 28 years old. Everybody thought this was too much. I asked Jalil if he wanted to take another fight before that one. Jalil was adamant about it: He said, ‘One more fight isn’t going to change anything. Let’s fight this guy.’”

Bernard Hackett also appreciates the trash talk from Dobson leading up to the fight.

“I love what Pete said,” Hackett said. “Pete said he’s going to spank Jalil like his daddy used to. One thing Jalil doesn’t like is being called ‘little bruh’ or just a kid. That fuels him. So I think this is going to be an exciting fight.”

When asked if Dobson was chosen in order to test Jalil’s performance with one eye on Conor Benn, the elder Hackett clarified his son’s intentions.

“Not really, to be honest with you. Conor Benn doesn’t have a world title,” Bernard Hackett said. “If he wins a world title, then he definitely goes on the radar.”