Preview: Premier Boxing Champions ‘Dirrell vs. Jack’ on Spike

Super Middleweights

Anthony Dirrell (27-0-1, 22 KOs) vs. Badou Jack (18-1-1, 12 Kos)

Premier Boxing Champions returns for its sophomore effort on Spike TV, as WBC super middleweight champion Anthony Dirrell puts his belt on the line against Badou Jack in the evening’s main event at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago.

The winner will likely already have his next opponent lined up: George Groves is currently the WBC’s No. 1 contender. This is potentially a showcase fight for Dirrell, who spent much of his career in shadow of his Olympic bronze medal winning older brother Andre before winning the 168-pound title with a victory over Sakio Bika last August.

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The Matchup: Dirrell has overcome far greater obstacles than that of vying for recognition with a more celebrated sibling. The Flint, Mich., native was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2006 and had to undergo chemotherapy before being cleared to compete again after completing the treatment in 2008. Then, in 2012, Dirrell was climbing the WBC rankings before injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident sidelined him for approximately 17 months.

While persevering through such tribulations doesn’t necessarily forecast success in the ring, it does suggest a certain measure of physical and mental toughness that could prove beneficial come fight night.

Dirrell earned the most significant victory of his career to date by taking a 12-round decision over Bika last August to capture 168-pound gold. In the type of typically rugged affair favored by Bika, who has often been labeled a dirty fighter, it was Dirrell who showcased the superior technical boxing ability and landed the cleaner blows throughout the bout.

Dirrell has long been known as a more powerful but less technical boxer than his older brother. However, his ability to prevail through an ugly bout against an opponent with Bika’s reputation in the manner he did says good things about Dirrell’s overall progression.

Jack, meanwhile, was considered one of the sport’s rising prospects until a brutal first-round knockout loss to Derek Edwards in February 2014. Perhaps Jack should not be downgraded too severely for that defeat, however, because he was floored by a short counter right hand that he never saw coming -- the type of punch that could put most anyone to sleep. The Las Vegas-based Swede has since rebounded, posting consecutive triumphs over Jason Escalera and Francisco Sierra in his last two appearances.

The knock on the 31-year-old Jack is that despite possessing the necessary physical tools to excel, he isn’t always as impressive as he should be in victory. That, along with his tendency to start slowly, is fine against lesser competition, but it could be exposed against someone like Dirrell. Then again, a top-notch foe could be exactly what Jack needs to rise to the occasion.

Dirrell is the more powerful puncher, so he has the potential to make Jack pay for sleepwalking out of the gates. Along with his power, Dirrell has aggression to spare and doesn’t shy away from physical exchanges. On a less tangible note, he also seems to possess something of a mean streak, which has aided him in confrontations against the opponents such as Bika.

Jack has a slight reach advantage and will want to use his jab to control the range as much as possible. Dirrell has a dangerous right hand that could alter the course of the fight should he be able to land with any sort of regularity. Jack will need to wear his foe down by consistently working the body, something he did well in his most recent triumph over Sierra. However, Sierra did not offer much in the way of offense, something that Jack cannot expect from Dirrell.

The Pick: Dirrell seems to be polishing his overall game and adding skills to his already formidable power and aggression. For Jack to win, he must keep Dirrell on the outside with his jab and the occasional body work while outboxing him for 12 rounds.

While Jack has the talent to execute that plan for a while, eventually Dirrell is going to make the fight more physical, and that is when the Michigan native will find openings to hurt his adversary. Dirrell wins via decision or late KO/TKO.