New Faces

By Anson Wainwright |

(Photo by Ryan Hafey/PBC)

JALIL ‘MAJOR’ HACKETT
Age: 20
Home country: U.S. (Washington, D.C.)
Weight class: welterweight
Height: 5-foot-11 (180 cm)
Amateur record: 140-19
Turned pro: 2021
Pro record: 8-0 (7 knockouts)
Trainer: Bernard Hackett
Manager: Bernard Hackett/ Derrick Curry
Promoter: Mayweather Promotions
Instagram: @jalil_hackett

Best night of pro career and why: Hackett is pleased with his most recent performance, his first scheduled eight-round bout against once-beaten (12-1-1) Adrian Gutierrez at The Red Owl Boxing Arena in Houston, Texas, on December 1.

“I think this was my best win,” Hackett told The Ring. “[He was a] better opponent [and I] showcased more of my skills.

“The fight was really simple, honestly. I applied pressure and touched the body to set up the crucial head shots. I saw he was hurt and I couldn’t let him make it out of the third round.”

8-0✅
WBC YOUTH CHAMP🏆 pic.twitter.com/Kf370mcj3O

— Jalil “Major” Hackett🥊 (@JalilMajorHcktt) December 2, 2023

Worst night of pro career and why: The 20-year-old boxer-puncher says he wasn’t at his best against fellow debutant Angelo Diaz in June 2021.

“It felt really, really rushed,” he admitted. “I was anxious and nervous, with it being on a big platform, with it being on Floyd Mayweather and Logan Paul’s undercard. I felt like I rushed and got hit with a few too many shots I don’t think I should have been hit with, albeit that it was only a one-round fight. I just felt I could have looked better in the one round.”

What’s Next: Hackett recently fought so he didn’t have anything scheduled at press time. However, he said he hopes to return in March.

Why he’s a prospect: The youngster won 11 national titles in various tournaments as well as three medals internationally before turning professional at 18 years old.

“My proudest moment in the amateurs was probably winning the Junior Olympics,” he said. “I won it twice, and the second time I won it I didn’t lose a round the whole tournament.”

Hackett’s development has been greatly aided by training alongside many top fighters over the years.

Hackett was featured on the undercard of Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia in a four-rounder against Jason Phillips. (Photo by Ryan Hafey/PBC)

“Basically any of the top guys from 135-168, I’ve been in the ring with,” he said. “I’ve been in the ring with the likes of Jarrett Hurd, Julian Williams, [Jaron] ‘Boots’ Ennis and Gervonta Davis.”

However, there is one fighter who stood out from the pack.

“Jaron Ennis, because of his ability and I.Q.,” he explained. “He’s just as good on the southpaw side as he is orthodox and also he can punch with both hands and he’s fast as well. You’ve definitely got to be on your P’s and Q’s when you’re in there with him.”

There are two aspects of his own game that he feels will help him reach the top.

“My conditioning and my inside game,” he said. “I have a very good inside game. When more accomplished fighters like Julian Williams say ‘You have a very good inside game,’ I take it as a complement.”

Hackett has also spent time in and away from the gym with his promoter, the legendary Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“Floyd’s at the age where he’s a great mentor. As a fighter, he’s one of the all-time greats, but also as an older person who has been through everything that I’m going to go through,” he said of the information he’s absorbed. “A lot of the times when we’ve talked, it’s about making the right life decisions. He always makes it very important to put it in my head to make smart decisions now that 20 years from now will benefit you.”

Hackett is looked upon favorably by former unified junior middleweight titleholder Julian Williams.

“Jalil is a super-talented, hard-working kid with a great coach/dad behind him. I’m expecting good things from him,” said Williams. “[He] definitely has world title potential.”

Hackett stopped Phillips in the third round. (Photo by Ryan Hafey/PBC)

Why he’s a suspect: Hackett’s far from being the finished product and has to remain disciplined and not fall in love with his power. So far, he’s had things his own way, but as he moves up in class he’ll most likely have problems with better fighters. How he resolves them and responds to adversity will be testament to how far he can go.

In his last fight, he hurt his opponent but jumped on him and got hit twice rather than take his time in getting the inevitable knockout.

The young fighter appreciates he needs time to hone his craft and isn’t taking anything for granted.

“Honestly, patience,” he said. “And that’s with all things, inside the ring, outside the ring, in general. I feel if I work on my patience and become more of a patient fighter, it’ll really help me in the long run.”

Williams feels Hackett just needs to stay focused and keep doing what he’s doing: “It’s nothing specific he has to work on; he just has to stay in the gym, listen to his dad and keep progressing.”

“Everything was a competition, and with me being the youngest it was a little bit harder to compete, but I feel I found a way.”

Storylines: Hackett was born and raised in Washington, D.C. He is the youngest of 10 children on his father’s side and has two younger siblings on his mother’s side. However, being the youngest wasn’t without its challenges.

“My dad was tough on me. My siblings were tough on me,” he said. “Everything was a competition, and with me being the youngest it was a little bit harder to compete, but I feel I found a way.”

Although Hackett played football, basketball, soccer and lacrosse, he found boxing at a very young age and was galvanized by the tough love approach he received in the gym.

“I started coming to the gym as young as 3 or 4 years old. I started to spar at 6 or 7,” he said. “Coming up, when it goes to training, it was a little bit tough, but I definitely think it molded me into the fighter I am now.

“I came up in the gym with the Russells – Gary Russell, Gary Antonio and Gary Antuanne. Coming up in that gym, their dad, Gary Sr., he didn’t allow any slacking off or playing around — what he called being in the way. Sometimes when I would cry, he’d be like, ‘You’ve got to keep going. If you’re not going to keep going, if you’re going to be crying or quit when it gets hard, don’t even come back to the gym.’ That gym definitely built the character I am today. It gave me a very, very strong will.”

Hackett looks up to former unified welterweight titleholder Errol Spence Jr.

“I always liked the way he fought,” said Hackett. “When I turned pro, a lot of people were telling me I fight like him. At first I was like, ‘Nah, not really,’ but as I started to compare his style to my style, I thought we fought similarly and actually started to mimic a lot of the things he does.”

For the future, Hackett has big goals. However, he isn’t getting ahead of himself.

“We have this Youth title coming up, but later on down the line I want to become world champion,” he stated. “Maybe move up and fight some of the other champions at 154, taking the Roy Jones Jr. approach. He conquered multiple world titles at different weights. I look to do the same.”

Away from boxing, Hackett enjoys spending time with his family and friends and describes himself as an avid gamer.