Ryan Rozicki is hoping that by February 4 he will have clarity about the status of his promised title fight with WBC cruiserweight titleholder Badou Jack.
Rozicki, the 29-year-old Canadian known by his moniker “The Bruiser,” is awaiting his big fight but had choice words to describe the situation he has encountered.
“A whole bunch of fuckery, one way or another with the other guy that was the champion, Noel [Mikaelian],” Rozicki, 20-1-1 (19 KOs), said. “They postponed and ducked me for a year. Then I had to fight the Argentina guy [Yamil Peralta]. And now they’re saying Badou Jack. They’re throwing names at me. It just sounds like noise.”
Rozicki is referencing an ill-fated fight with Norair “Noel” Mikaelian. Mikaelian’s last fight happened in 2023, when he stopped Ilunga Makabu to win the WBC interim cruiserweight title. A bout between the two fighters was scheduled twice in 2024, but neither fight came to fruition. Jack, the current WBC titleholder, was thought to be moving up to fight for the WBC bridgerweight title and became the champion-in-recess.
“Badou Jack wanted to go up a weight division and fight for that bridgerweight belt that I fought Oscar Rivas for,” Rozicki said.
“I fought two top contenders back-to-back in the meantime and became mandatory,” Rozicki said. “Once I became mandatory, Mikaelian refused to fight me for a year. Then he just kept postponing it and coming up with reasons not to fight.”
In December, the WBC made a decision on what to do next. Rozicki had a rematch (Rozicki beat him on a split in their first bout in 2022) with Yamil Alberto Peralta, and they fought to a draw. That fight was for the WBC interim title. It was nothing new for Rozicki, who took a lot of hard fights with eight outings in the last three years.
“That’s what I wanted. I wanted hard fights,” Rozicki said. “People pick the easiest route to the top and make themselves look like something they are not, and then when they get in there with a real fighter they get exposed. I wanted to make sure that I was in those tough fights.”
Rozicki hopes the 41-year-old Jack, 28-3-3 (17 KOs), who resides in Dubai, will give him his second opportunity at a title. Rozicki’s only loss so far was to Oscar Rivas, whom he fought for the bridgerweight title.
“It’s bullshit, honestly. I was ready to walk away from professional boxing and go to BKFC [Bare Knuckle Boxing], but my promoter [Three Lions Promotions] keeps promising me these huge money fights,” Rozicki said.
Lucas Ketelle took an unconventional path to boxing, eventually finding his stride in gyms and media. For the past decade, he has hosted the “Lukie Boxing” podcast, filmed training camps for fighters like Arnold Barboza Jnr, Mikey Garcia and Caleb Plant, and worked with top professionals such as Mike Bazzel. Ketelle is also an author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for ProBox TV, BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @LukieBoxing.
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