The main supporting bout to the Jaron Ennis vs. David Avanesyan fight on Saturday night, July 13, was positioned as a step up for welterweight prospect Jalil Hackett, but Hackett was crowned the best in the test by defeating Peter Dobson (16-2, 9 KOs) by unanimous decision.
(Credit: Melina Pizano/Matchroom)
21-year-old Jalil Hackett has always maintained that he is still a hot prospect and the only reason he isn't a favorite is because of inactivity. Hackett showed what he is capable of in his debut for Matchroom Boxing against Eddie Hearn and proved he is a promising prospect.
Hackett got up quickly in the first round, pushing forward and changing the level of his jab. Midway through the first round, Hackett focused on shots to the body, then landed a hard overhand right.
Hackett stayed on the front foot throughout the second round, using his jab, landing combination shots and staying on the offensive, while Dobson was comfortable fighting on the back foot and landing solid counter shots with his left hand.
In the third round, Dobson and Hackett stood in the pocket and traded body shots, and Hackett came on big time in the fourth round, cornering Dobson and landing a variety of power punches.
Jaleel Hackett finally reached uncharted territory as the fight continued into the fifth round. Hackett controlled the pace of the fight, coming out on the offensive with consistency and staying in control of the bout.
In the seventh round, Dobson landed a hard right punch and Hackett responded with a left hook. The seventh round was action packed with both fighters trading blows until the round ended.
Hackett continued to show patience, good technique, timing and punch placement in the closing stages. After 10 rounds in a welterweight bout, Jalil Hackett was awarded the unanimous decision victory with scores of 97-93, 97-93 and 96-94.
With the win, Jalil “Major” Hackett (9-0, 7 KOs) captured the WBA Continental North American Welterweight title and remained undefeated. On the night of July 13, Hackett passed the step-up test and won the title belt, moving one step closer to making the transition from prospect to challenger.
