Blake McKernan was the perfect medicine for what was ailing Badou Jack.
Jack, who hadn’t won a fight since 2017, defeated the tough, but grossly overmatched novice by a shutout decision in an eight-round cruiserweight fight on the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. card Saturday at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Jack, a former two division titleholder, was 0-2-1 in his last three fights – a draw with Adonis Stevenson and losses to Marcus Browne (UD) and Jean Pascal (SD) — but was the victim of some bad luck.
Some believe he deserved the decision against Stevenson, he suffered a ghastly cut on his forehead against Browne and his setback against Pascal also was disputed. Obviously, he was eager to get back into the win column.
Enter McKernan (13-1, 6 KOs), who was unbeaten entering the fight but had never tangled with anyone even close to Jack’s ability.
Jack (23-3-3, 13 KOs) is normally a slow starter but that wasn’t the case in this mismatch. The Las Vegas-based Swede pounded McKernan almost at will from the opening bell, targeting his opponent’s body in particular.
McKernan was tough – he absorbed a lot of hard punches – and never stopped trying but Jack’s effective aggression kept the California fighter on his heels and made it difficult for him to get much done himself.
By the fifth round, Jack was dishing out brutal punishment – mostly to the body — and didn’t stop until the final bell. McKernan, remarkably durable and determined, survived the beating to hear the final bell but didn’t win a single round.
All three judges had the same score: 80-72.
Jack, 37, said before the fight that he is targeting a rematch with Pascal, who hasn’t fought since his victory over Jack last December.