Lev Jackson Outclasses Ian Abbott

Southpaw Lev Jackson looked classy in a unanimous decision victory over Ian "Mr. Wonderful" Abbott at the Lions Club in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada. It was his first fight at junior lightweight, which might be a new home for the 34 year old from Vancouver.

After entering the ring to the Red Hot Chili Pepper's "Can't Stop," Jackson pawed with his jab against the 32 year old from Denton, Saskatchewan, who also fights under the name Ian Masuskapoe. Jackson soon began doubling his jab to land the straight left. It was a strategy he used much of the fight.

By the end of the first, Jackson took control of center ring. He started the second with more of the jab, tripling up on it at one point. He threw lead lefts, sometimes following them up with sweeping rights that were meant to distract Abbott from blocking another incoming straight left. A power jab knocked out Mr. Wonderful's mouthpiece.

Before the start of the third and fourth rounds, the doctor checked Jackson's bruises and cuts. Lev battles Crohn's disease and the medicine he takes to control the disease can lead to increased bruising and causes him to cut easily. Abbott was tough and often fired back, but he was second best when it can to the number and effectiveness of the blows. His best shot was a right uppercut after Lev launched an overhand left and then rolled for the second consecutive sequence.

Despite the doctor's concerns, the third round was more of the same, with Jackson backing Abbott into the corner several times. In the fourth round, Jackson continued to show his right to force Abbott to walk into the left.

At 130 pounds, Lev looked fast and fought smart. He used measured brawling to outwork and outclass his opponent. His breath control was superior, exhaling with each shot. Abbott, an experienced MMA fighter, didn't have the same mastery over his breathing.

Jackson won with two scores of 40-36 and one of 39-37. The Jewish Boxing Blog scored the bout 40-36 for Jackson. He moves to 6-1-1 with 3 KOs. Abbott is now 1-8-1. He has never been stopped.

After the fight, Lev showed respect to Abbott, noting he was tough and quick. He said he was prepared to execute plan A, B, and C if it came to that. He's hoping for something big up next, possibly back in Alberta against a local prospect.

Lev Jackson and Ian Abbott Make Weight

Junior lightweights Lev "Gutsy" Jackson and Ian "Mr. Wonderful" Abbott both made weight ahead of their clash tomorrow night at the Lions Club in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada. A career lightweight, this will be Jackson's first pro fight at 130.

At 5-1-1, the 34 year old from Vancouver has scored two of his three knockouts in his last two fights. Jackson's heaviest weight was 138 against Elroy Fruto, who he sparred with to get ready for this fight. Lev tipped the scales at 129.5 pounds, the lightest of his seven-year career.

Abbott, a 32 year old from Saskatchewan, came in at 129 pounds. His lightest was 124 in 2024 and his heaviest was 133 the year before. Abbott also goes by Ian Masuskapoe as he is a member of the Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation. An MMA fighter, his boxing record is an unassuming 1-8-1, but he's a tough journeyman.

After the faceoff, Jackson and Abbott respectfully shook hands. Lev refueled with spaghetti and sushi after drinking a ton of fluids. Back with coach Junior Moar, he's excited to face the challenge of a new weight class.

Jackson-Abbott is scheduled for four rounds. For a preview of the fight, visit here. A link to the stream is here.

Lev Jackson to Face Ian Abbott on June 27

Lev "Gutsy" Jackson is scheduled to face "Mr. Wonderful" Ian Abbott on June 27 at the Lions Club in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada. Despite Abbott's upside down record, he poses a challenge to Jackson.

Jackson is a 33 year old from Vancouver, Canada with a record of 5-1-1 (3 KOs). This will be his first fight since he got married. A southpaw, Lev boxed more in his last two fights in Mexico, a shift from the all-action fighter he was before.

Abbott, who also goes by Ian Masuskapoe, is a 32 year old from Debden in Saskatchewan. A member of the Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation, Abbott has a record of 1-8-1 and hasn't won in over ten years. But he is an experienced fighter with experience in MMA and karate. Tough and durable, Abbott has only been stopped once.

Abbott is a better fighter than his record suggests. A competent boxer, he flicks out the jab but doesn't work off of it much. He's mostly looking to counter and get into exchanges. The Saskie typically does enough to lose as punch-output has been a problem for him in the past. He doesn't have a lot of wrinkles in his game, and there's not a lot of variety in his attack. But he is a game guy.

Jackson is the naturally bigger man, fighting primarily as a lightweight. Abbott has mostly been a featherweight. This four-rounder is scheduled for junior lightweight.

Lev Jackson Targeting March Date

According to BoxRec, Lev Jackson is fighting in two days in Jamay, Mexico. Chalk it up to: Don't believe everything you read on the internet. When asked if he was fighting on January 24, the Vancouver-based lightweight responded, "Not to my knowledge," his tongue firmly in his cheek.

After a nearly two-year layoff, the 33-year-old Jackson has been active recently. He traveled to Mexico and scored a knockout in April and another in December to improve his record to 5-1-1 with 3 KOs. The all-action southpaw boxed a little more than usual in those two fights.

Jackson told The Jewish Boxing Blog that he's targeting a March date in Canada, but nothing's set yet. In the meantime, he's been in training. He recently sparred with prospect Isaiah Guy, who won his debut in November against an old Jackson foe, Elroy Fruto. Guy is also looking to fight in March. He's scheduled to face another old Jackson rival, Ely Avelar.

courtesy of Jackson's IG page

Jewish Boxing in 2025

The year in Jewish boxing was dominated by two newcomers with very different backstories and fighting styles. Yan Zak and Brooklyn Barwick are both in their mid-20s and both made their professional debuts this year, but the similarities stop there.

Zak, a 25 year old Israeli, is a decorated amateur. He won the gold medal at the U-22 European Championships a couple years ago and has competed - and even defeated - some of the very best amateurs in the world. He turned pro in May and ends the year with a record of 5-0 with 3 KOs against stiff competition. Zak is a terrific prospect, but the challenge will be to find opponents good enough that his skills won't regress. Hopefully, he refrains from picking up bad habits against foes who are not nearly as good as him.

Barwick, on the other hand, comes from the world of influencer boxing. The 26 year old American had no amateur experience before turning pro in March. In many ways, Zak and Barwick represent two divergent paths in the sport of boxing currently. Whereas the amateur standout Zak has only recently cultivated his social media presence, Barwick's social media game is ahead of her boxing ability. A brawler, Barwick has improved tremendously in her six pro fights, all knockout victories, feasting on inexperienced Latin American fodder. She talks a good game, but is also putting in the work in the gym, where she is catching up after a late start in boxing.

David Alaverdian returned from an extensive layoff with an impressive decision victory in February. He coached in Israel much of the year. Cletus Seldin won a decision in March, but recently came back with an adverse finding for PEDs before his last fight.

Joshua Feldman and Doron Zinman, who both won in February and again in May, have spent much of the year training Las Vegas under the tutelage of Brandon Woods. Lev Jackson came back and won two fights in Mexico this year, both by knockout. Odelia Ben Ephraim lost her fight. She was the B-side in Spain against a stylish undefeated prospect. Though Ben Ephraim's record was 0-1 and she had to leave her old gym because of pettiness from its management, her 2025 represented the best of boxing. She didn't look to pad her record; instead, she took on a difficult challenge, gave the fans a high-level and thrilling fight, and keeps working to get better.

Danielle Cohen and Devin Struben won their fights in 2025. David Malul not only took two decision victories, but started his own promotional company, in New York of all places, no easy task. Daniel Ivanovski was 2-0, both fights within eight days of each other. Yonatan Landman didn't fight this year, but is training hard and spoke with The JBB in February.

Past Jewish boxers Larry Boardman, "The Corn Belt Ace" Hymie Wiseman, "A Laborer in the Entertainment Business" Benny Franklin, "The Human Sponge" Alf Ros, "The Casino" Dino Berkowitz, "The Jewish Jolter" Ronnie Cohen, "The Conqueror of Jackie Fields" Harry Wallach, legendary promoter Don Elbaum, and Hall of Famer Jill Matthews were all remembered by The Jewish Boxing Blog this year.

On a personal note: I published several articles for other websites during the first half of the year. I hope to continue doing so in 2026. Away from boxing, 2025 was something of a monumental year for me professionally, which somewhat diverted my attention away from The JBB the last few months. Fans of Jewish boxing don't have to worry though, The JBB is committed to providing the fans with the usual quality of coverage about all things Jewish boxing past, present, and future. Thank you all for your support.

Lev Jackson Wins by Stoppage

Fighting in Jamay, Jalisco, Mexico, Lev Jackson by second round retirement. His opponent refused to come out for the third round.

Jackson is a 33 year old from Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada. The southpaw is now 5-1-1 with 3 KOs. This was his second fight this year.

More details to come...

Lev Jackson to Fight on November 22 in Mexico

Lightweight Lev Jackson is scheduled to fight on November 22 in Jamay, Jalisco, Mexico. The promotor is Teofista Boxing. Jackson is 4-1-1 with 2 KOs.

Lev is a 33 year old from Vancouver, Canada. He recently became a father and was looking for a stay-busy fight. He fought in Mexico in April, ending a year and a half layoff. Though he acknowledges this is a tune-up fight, he knows it won't be easy. If he can get past his as-of-yet unnamed opponent, he's looking for a bigger fight in 2026.

Lev Jackson Wins by KO

Lightweight Lev Jackson won tonight by second round knockout over Jonathan Hernandez Pelayo in Jamay, Jalisco, Mexico.

The 32 year old Vancouverite came into this fight without any knowledge of his opponent for the first time in his pro career. "I was patient and boxed, no brawling," Jackson told The Jewish Boxing Blog. "I waited him out because he wanted a street fight."

Hernandez, a 26 year old from Zapopan, fought as a southpaw and hoped to lure Jackson into exchanges. Jackson, though, kept his distance and landed accurate shots from the outside.

In the second round, Jackson scored a knockdown with a well-timed left to the body. He then connected with a two punch combination to the midsection and a left to the temple to score the knockout. Referee Alejandro Zaragoza counted to ten and waved off the fight two minutes and 24 seconds into the round.

BoxRec currently has listed the wrong date for the event and the wrong round of the knockout. The site also says Jackson won by TKO even though Zaragoza reached the count of ten, constituting a KO. If the winless Hernandez was actually the opponent, he had on trunks worn by Christian Acevas Rivera on March 15, but Hernandez had turned the trunks around so that the back was in front.

Jackson was so focused on the fight, he didn't pay attention to the name of the opponent. He thought he heard his foe was named Ivan, but was too locked in. Ivan Amescua, a southpaw, fought on the same March 15 card as Aceves when he wore those trunks.

In any event, the experience taught Jackson to be prepared for anything. He appreciated the opportunity to fight outside his native Canada for the first time. Lev's record improves to 4-1-1 with 2 KOs. Hernandez is now 0-10 and has been stopped eight times.

courtesy of Jackson's IG page

Lev Jackson Weighs In

Lev Jackson and Jonathan Hernndez Pelayo weighed in ahead of his fight tomorrow at Jamay Center, in Jamay, Jalisco, Mexico. Teofista Boxing is promoting the show.

The 32 year old from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada will be facing a substitute opponent in a lightweight bout. The all-action fighter flew down to Mexico today for his first fight outside of Canada. Jackson, who is 3-1-1, was last in the ring on July 20, 2023.

Pelayo (0-9) is a 26 year old from Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico. Nicknamed "Palas." his weight was 136.3 pounds, the heaviest of his career. His lightest was 121.5 pounds in 2021. His previous high was 135.8, which has been twice before fights.

Lev Jackson Returning in April

Lightweight Lev Jackson is scheduled to return to the ring on April 5 in Jalisco, Mexico on a show promoted by Teofista Boxing. Jackson last fought on July 20, 2023.

A 32 year old from Vancouver, Jackson is an all-action fighter. He defeated the bigger Luis Prieto by majority decision in his last fight to move to 3-1-1 with one KO. Then, he experienced an unexpected 20-month layoff. Jackson was scheduled to fight that December, but the commission pulled the opponent and a replacement couldn't be found in time. Lev was then scheduled to fight last April, but that fight fell through.

Since his last fight, Jackson has had better luck out of the ring. A butcher by trade, he got engaged and his first child in on the way. Lev has reunited with coach Junior Moar for this fight, his first outside of Canada.

Year in Review: 2024

This year was defined by young prospects in the early stages of their careers. Yonatan Landman started his 7-0 with 7 KOs this year. Joshua Feldman went 3-0 with 3 KOs. David Malul scored two knockout victories to get his career rolling. Daniel Ivanovski went 2-0 with two KOs to start his career. Benny Nizard and Doron Zinman both won their debuts. The oldest of these prospects is just 23 years of age. It's an exciting time to be a fan of Jewish boxing!

More established Jewish boxers didn't see much action in 2024. Cletus Seldin won his one fight back in March. Odelia Ben Ephraim dropped her two fights, both for titles. For others, it was a case of canceled fights.

The Jewish Boxing Blog not only covered the current scene, but also looked back at several past Jewish boxers. They include Phil Lolosky, Joey Silver, Stuart Finer, Mushy Callahan, Willie Jackson, Joey Kaufman, Haim Zilberschmidt, Mike Clancy, and Soldier Bartfield. The JBB also provided an overview of Jewish boxers in China.

The JBB conducted some memorable interviews with Ira Berkow, Lev Jackson, and David Malul. Books reviewed this year include Then the World Moved On, The Promise of Women's Boxing, Smash Hit, Murder on Federal Street, and The Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame.

A special thank you to the readers of The Jewish Boxing Blog and to the supporters on Buy Me a Coffee. I'd also like to publicly thank the boxers who took the time to offer their insights throughout the year. 

Jackson Off Tomorrow’s Card

Lev Jackson had been scheduled to fight Mathusan Mahindas in a junior welterweight bout in Toronto tomorrow. Jackson is now off the card and Mahindas is slated to fight Viacheslav Shulevskyi.

A week and a half ago, Jackson told The Jewish Boxing Blog that the fight was up in the air. He had said that he felt “chunky” weighing 138 pounds for his last fight, so it was surprising to see the fight with Mahindas scheduled for junior welterweight.

The cancellation was surely disappointing for Jackson, who had his heart set on this matchup. Hopefully, Jackson will get a fight soon.

Lev Jackson to Fight Undefeated Mathusan Mahindas

Lev Jackson is scheduled to fight Mathusan Mahindas on April 21 at the Rebel Entertainment Complex in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in a junior welterweight contest. The show is promoted by Lee Baxter, who was the promoter for Jackson's debut in 2019.

Jackson, a 31 year old from Richmond in British Columbia, comes in with a record of 3-1-1 with one KO and one no contest. He acknowledges that Mahindas, who is 6-0-1 with 2 KOs, will be the hometown favorite in the fight.

Mahindas, a 28 year old from Scarborough, located on the outskirts of Toronto, will make his fifth appearance in a Toronto-area ring. "No one wants to lose at their house party," Jackson said in an interview with The Jewish Boxing Blog last month. He then paused before adding, "But he's going to lose at his house party."

Jackson noted, "He's got a great record, but he has exclusively fought fly-in Mexicans for his career." Canada recently instituted a law requiring Mexican citizens to obtain a visa to enter Canada, which will force Canadian fighters to take on their co-nationalists as opposed to foreign patsies. Jackson granted, "Credit it to him, before there were any issues with visas, he was willing to take me on."

Mahindas poses a difficult challenge for Jackson. But Lefty Lev is brimming with confidence. "I'm excited. It's going to be a mistake for him [to take this fight] I think. No, I don't think... I know."

He added, "He's definitely underestimating me, and... Good!"

Mahindas graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in finance and works as an insurance underwriter. He's the first professional boxer from the Tamil community and has ties to Sri Lanka. His nickname, the Tiger, is not as innocuous as it first seems. The Tamil Tigers were major participants in the Sri Lankan civil war, which lasted from 1983-2009. The group, who wanted an independent homeland on the island, was labeled a terrorist organization by some countries, including the U.S., because they used suicide bombings on civilians outside of the war zone.

In the ring, Mahindas fights in an Eastern European style: upright and robotic, moving in and out behind the jab, and occasionally throwing the 1-2. He keeps his right hand glued to his chin, which can indicate suspect punch resistance. A year ago, Mahindas was shaken up a few times against wild slugger Arturo Avila. The fight ended in a draw, which was a setback of sorts for Mahindas.

Jackson, a butcher by trade, revealed, "I'm mentally seeing myself as the A-side for this." But he understands that it might be difficult to receive a just decision in the opponent's backyard. "We're not going for decisions," he declared. "I think I have underrated punching power. Keep thinking it's underrated, I hope he walks into something stupid to start."

Mahindas likely won't be careless, because he's a cautious fighter who generally prefers to stay on the outside and utilize his height advantage. In 2022, Jose Alberto Garcia was able to get inside and touch Mahindas. Last September, Mahindas allowed Eduardo Cortes Molina to get inside and then made him pay, bloodying the Mexican's nose. Mathusan isn't a hard puncher, but he's very accurate.

Jackson will want to get to the inside and, if he gets there, his all-action style will cause problems for his opponent. He'll look to time Mahindas's right with overhand lefts. Lev will also hope to target the right side of Mahindas's body, under his elevated right elbow. But don't ignore Lev's right hook, either.

This is a big fight for Jackson. "He's the stepping stone. I'm not," he said. It means a lot that he's fighting a guy from Ontario. Jackson admitted that his native British Columbians are considered "the lowest of the low" in boxing. B.C. boxers have a big rivalry with those from Ontario, but it doesn't go both ways. Boxers from Ontario are focused more on their heated rivalry with Quebecois.

In Ontario and in Mexico, Mahindas has been more active recently than Jackson, but Lev has gone the six round distance twice before. Mathusan hasn't. The matchup has all the makings on an intriguing battle.

"We're both going to be the best the other one has fought so far" Jackson exclaimed, "and that's what is going to make an awesome fight."

Adventures in B.C. Boxing: An Interview with Lev Jackson

"I'm really confident in my punching power right now, which is something that I think is overlooked out of my abilities," Lev Jackson told me in an extensive interview that began in a backroom of Beyond Boxing, a gym located on Hastings Street in Burnaby, a neighboring suburb of Vancouver, and continued at Quesada Burritos & Tacos amid a smattering of curious customers and employees.

Lev is just the latest Jewish fighter from Vancouver, a legacy that dates back to the first Semitic settler. Leapin' Louis Gold, born in Warsaw, set up a grocery store in Gastown, now a neighborhood inside of Vancouver, in 1872. Drunk ruffians would mock Gold's short stature and his religion, so he retaliated with his signature punch, a leaping uppercut to the chin.

A hundred and fifty years later, Jackson's best punch isn't an uppercut, but a right hook. We started the interview a few minutes before the 31 year old lightweight, as part of his cooldown, went two rounds on the pads with Jimmy Lin, an assistant coach working with Jackson's new head trainer Louis Sargeant. It was only Jackson and Lin's second session together on the pads, so they were still finding their rhythm, but the frightening pop of Jackson's right hook hitting Lin's mitt provided support for Jackson's confidence.


The Beginning
The southpaw was just a kid when he fell in love with boxing. The boxing website Fight News needed a Vancouver correspondent and the precocious Jackson applied. "I wanted to get free tickets and access to boxing." Fortunately, Manny Sobral, an excellent former pro, started West Coast Promotions at the same time.

Sobral staged his shows at River Rock Casino in Richmond, a suburb just south of Vancouver. He gave Jackson access and took care of the young Richmond native. Everything went well for about a year until Fight News asked Lev to cover the Vernon Forest-Carlos Baldomir fight held on July 27, 2007 at the Queen Emerald Casino across the border in Takoma, Washington and televised on HBO.

Despite his best efforts, Lev couldn't finagle his way in. He asked Fight News, "What can you guys do about it if I'm under 21?" They responded, "Well, how old are you?"

That's when the gig was up. "I watched it on tv and I thought it was pretty funny because Baldomir's kids were stuck watching in the production truck. I was like, 'If the fighter's kids can't get in, I had no chance!'"

Lev soon began boxing under the guidance of George Angelomatis, a real life mensch. "He raised a generation and ran a troubled youth program for close to forty years," Jackson explained. Angelomatis was a provincial court judge that coached boxing and served on local commissions in his spare time. Jackson would be his final Canadian amateur champion, a list that includes two Olympians, bronze medalist Dale Walters and the aforementioned Sobral.

Jackson hates to admit that, like every other boxer, he caused trouble as a kid. "All of us are a bit weird, all of us were kind of shitheads, basically. I never heard of a boxer's origin story, 'I was an alter boy.' That doesn't happen." Boxing helped Lev's parents know where he was and that he wasn't causing any more trouble.

Before his passing in 2013, Angelomatis told Jackson, "The biggest knock I can give on you is that you like to fight. You have the skills to box, but for whatever reason, you choose to fight." After one bout, he told Lev, "You got the win. You coulda made it easy, but you like to make it fun."

At the age of 15, Jackson was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, which causes inflammation of the digestive tract. "In life and in training, it's an obstacle. I would be lying if I said it wasn't," he acknowledged. "But the way some guys think, like I'm soft to the belly. I'm definitely not. I make sure I have a much stronger core and lower body strength. If you're gonna target my body, go right ahead, you're gonna leave yourself open for something to eat."

His amateur career was interrupted when doctors advised him to stop boxing because of the effects of the disease. He deeply missed the sport during the three and half years he was away.

During this period apart from boxing, he spent some time as a professional wrestler. "It's not fake. It's predetermined," he said of the contact sport. "It allowed me to cathartically do something physical. And also, it's a little different; there are no weight classes. Everyone's well over 200 pounds!"

When Jackson got the green light to return to boxing, he had no trouble reacclimating to the sport. "It was more exciting than anything to go back to it," he said. "I always loved it. I never really thought it was going to be the end." He said he had "itchy knuckles" to get back in the ring. Once back, his aim was to turn pro as quickly as possible. "I didn't ever want to look back in twenty years and say I could've, I should've pursued something. I remember thinking, I have to go pro. Even if I suck. Even if I lose three fights and that's that, I can say I gave it a go."

He linked up with friend and former pro Junior Moar during a period which Lev describes as "a year of rebuilding." He had four amateur fights with Coach Moar and won all four of them. "I wanted to go pro right away," Lev said, "but he was like, 'No, let's get your feet wet again.'"

Jackson had 38 amateur fights in all. "I remember I did the full count a couple years ago and it was 38. And then I accidentally realized it was 39, but 38's a better sounding number." So we'll go with 38.


Turning Pro
Jackson won his first pro fight on May 11, 2019 and didn't fight for another two and half years. "It sucked," he declared. "I remember thinking before I went pro, 'I'm gonna bang out the first few fights and get them out of the way. I want to build a record.' I didn't want to be like so many pros, for whatever reason, sitting on 1-0." Then, the combination of the pandemic and "some life stuff" froze his career. He never stopped training, but wouldn't fight again until November 6, 2021.

"I took it on short notice," Jackson recalls of his second fight. "It's one that I'd still like to-" His voice trails off wistfully. The fight against a debutant named Ely Avelar Martinez was called a draw. "You're never going to believe me, but I thought I won! In the most polite way possible, I'd like to get that one back. But that opponent is well beneath me now."Jackson had been scheduled to fight the rematch last December, but the commission wouldn't let Martinez fight in a six-rounder because his record stands at 0-1-1. "When the commission said he can't do six rounds, I think it was their way of telling me to let it go."

In his next fight, Jackson knocked out Herman Cheuk in the second round with an unexpected punch.  "I threw two straight lefts and then I just threw a post hook, one of the ones that's supposed to say, 'Stay there,' so I can get back and get to the other left, and that was the one that did it. Boom! and then the eyes rolled to the back of the head, I'm like [showing surprise] ok, ok."

Three months later, Jackson hoped to "skip the line" when he faced experienced journeyman Mario Victorino Vera, who had an even record against tough competition. Vera held a win over future title contender Christian Medina. "Every time J.Y. [Kim, his head coach at the time] and I would watch that fight," Lev said, "he can't understand how we lost a decision. It was a close fight, but we did well."

Jackson noted, "That dude was tough. It was inexperience [on my part], like when I would land shots and wobble him in that fight, I didn't have the wherewithal to follow up. If I would've had a little bit more experience and was a little sharper, it would've been very clear. Instead, it was a close fight." Jackson says he was hit with about 40 rabbit punches during the bout. Four stitches to the back of his head served as proof.

Though the Vera fight resulted in loss on his record, it gave Lev confidence. "It was a great experience. I knew I could hang at the level against an opponent who has a win against a world ranked guy. There  wasn't really anything between us." Jackson does admit, "It sucked because losses suck." But he would love to fight Vera again.

Jackson next fought an old rival named Elroy Fruto. "I smacked him around in the amateurs. That was when I came back and had the quick four amateur fights. He's a tough kid." Lev explained, "All respect to Elroy, but I went back to the corner after the first round and said, 'This is gonna be way easier than I thought it would be. And all a sudden a headbutt happens. I couldn't see. I've had worse cuts than that, but my vision was blurry and the doctor stopped it.'" It was ruled a no contest.

"I originally came up as a bit of a banger and more of a pressure fighter," Jackson said. "More recently, I adopted a bit more boxing and moving, which paid dividends when I had to fight a guy that was two weight classes bigger than me." Last July, Jackson fought awkward rangy welterweight Luis Prieto. "He did come down to 138, so I appreciate that," said Jackson. "When you hit a guy that size, their weight's going to keep them up."

Jackson recalled, "There was one moment in that where I came out thinking, 'I don't care about the size difference. I'm still going to win this by knockout. This is my hometown. The place I grew up in, Richmond, B.C.' I landed a great shot. Pretty sure it was the first round." Jackson snapped Prieto's head back. Prieto shook it off like it was nothing and walked forward. "Alright, I guess I'm moving this fight," Jackson muttered to himself.

Lev won by majority decision to the shock of the broadcasters covering the contest. I watched the fight on YouTube before meeting Lev and found the commentators' view of it incongruous with what I saw. I rewound the video over a dozen times when I thought I saw Lev land a big shot only to hear the broadcasters compliment Prieto. Even before I could tell Lev what I saw, he brought it up.

"We lost about one round is what we were seeing in the corner." Jackson was frustrated by the unwarranted criticism, but took it as a lesson on how to deal with the reality of being a pro athlete.

Lev has suffered difficult setbacks during his career, particularly dubious decisions. He's a butcher by day and in both of his jobs, he cuts easily. He's currently working on ways to reduce his propensity to cut, swell, and bruise, which are side effects of the anti-inflammatory medication he takes to combat Crohn's disease. "At the end of every fight I will look a little marked up even if I barely get touched," he explained.

Lev is practical about those seemingly unfair decisions. "One school of thought with judging is who would you rather be at the end of the round. And sometimes it's hard when somebody's bleeding. I cut easily. If somebody has a cut and the other guy doesn't, you probably want to be the guy without the cut."


The Future
Jackson has an important fight coming up. It hasn't yet been announced, but he'll be taking a big risk. The fight was signed days before Canada passed new restrictions on Mexican citizens traveling up north, which should change the landscape of Canadian boxing.

Back when Lev worked for Fight News as a kid, he said, "I got to see the more conniving and nasty side of the boxing business from a young age." Specifically, he learned that boxing often has an A-side and a B-side. In Canada, the B-side is often a "fly-in Mexican" or some other foreign national brought in to, hopefully, lose to the hometown fighter.

On February 29, Canada instituted new regulations requiring Mexicans to obtain a visa, which can take weeks to secure. It makes lower-level opponents from Mexico far less attractive options to Canadian promoters. 

"The good news for Canadians if you're looking for fights is expect a phone call." Jackson was offered three different fights in two weeks following the new visa requirement, but he has his heart set on his next fight, which will be on the road.

Though he sees improvement in its infrastructure, Jackson explained that British Columbia is something of an island when it comes to boxing. "A win in B.C. doesn't do much in the rest of Canada. Nobody watches what we're doing out here."

And he knows he'll be the villain in his next fight. When he traveled to a casino just outside of Saskatoon in Saskatchewan for the Vera fight, he learned, "Just being from Vancouver makes you the bad guy. I remember thinking, 'I'm going to be the good guy, I'm from Canada.' As soon as they said, 'From Vancouver, British Columbia,' everyone was like, 'Booo!'"

For Jackson, the future is rooted in the past. He is now working with Louis Sargeant, a former fighter and immigrant from Guyana. He still has a good relationship with past coaches Junior Moar and J.Y. Kim. Sargeant, in fact, fought Moar twice on Manny Sobral shows in Richmond. He's known Lev since Jackson was a just starting out.

With Sargeant's guidance, Lev Jackson is excited to carry on Vancouver Jews' fighting tradition and face the big fish, just as his forerunner, Leapin' Louis Gold, did a hundred and fifty years ago.

Year in Review: 2023

This year has been a great one for Jewish boxing! We got more fights and thankfully, fewer cancellations.

Some of the best:
Focused for Battle looks at several boxers' mindset during the referee's final instructions at center-ring right before the opening bell.
Sagiv Ismailov Wins Under Difficult Circumstances explores the trials an Israeli boxer faced just to take part in a fight in Germany in the wake of the Hamas attacks on October 7.
David Alaverdian Discusses His Last Fight shows what the talented fighter experienced during his gritty bout in April. The article also broke news of a virus that has kept David out of action ever since.
The Promoters' Screwjob is a behind-the-scenes look at Shawn Sarembock's personal introduction to the dirty side of boxing.
The Lasting Legacy of Boxing Historian Mike Silver is a retrospective on the man who wrote one of the  most important books about Jewish boxing history, Stars in the Ring.
Odelia Ben Ephraim Wins French Featherweight Title recaps the fight with great analysis from the fighter herself.
The Flying Hammer is a profile of Cletus Seldin: professional power puncher and part-time skydiver.
CSAC Cancelled Cohen-Bradley Due to "Large Weight Disparity" features reporting on why Stefi Cohen's January fight against Kedra Bradley was nixed at the last minute.

Recap of the fights:
Cletus Seldin ended a two-year hiatus with a win in a rough fight in October. Carolina Duer dropped a disputed split decision in April. Undefeated prospect Sagiv Ismailov fought four times in 2023. The recap of his last fight has links to the other three. Dr. Stefi Cohen went 2-0 with a win in February and another in June. David Alaverdian needed to make adjustments to win his bout in April. Odelia Ben Ephraim went 2-1 this year including a dominant victory in March. Mor Oknin grabbed a "W" in September. Three Jewish fighters won in Israel in February.

This year The Jewish Boxing Blog began covering the pro careers of Ben Ephraim, Josh Feldman, Alex Karchevski, Lev Jackson, and Sahar Meir.

History:
The Top 5 series continues to look at the best 5 Jewish boxers in a particular area or category. Expect more Top 5s in 2024.

This year featured profiles of Alf Mansfield (a tough flyweight who fought Jimmy Wilde), Harry "Kid" Brown (an intelligent pioneer), Jack Silver (a popular Cali lightweight in the '20s), Frankie Fink (the "Yiddisher Cowboy"), Benny Pascal (a tough Philly fighter), Willie Buff (a pro star who embellished his amateur creds), and Ovadia Hochman (an amateur boxer who reinvented himself after scandal).

Sadly, Kenny "Bang Bang" Bogner passed away this year. Here is his obituary.

Book Reviews:
The Fighter of Auschwitz by Erik Brouwer
Stars and Scars by Jeff Jones
Matthew Saad Muhammad by William Dettloff
Family, Gangsters & Champions by Ramon Antonio Vargas
Tony Canzoneri by Mark Allen Baker
Baseball, Nazis & Nedick's Hot Dogs by Jerry Izenberg


Thank you all for reading this year! You can support The Jewish Boxing Blog by following on X/Twitter, Instagram, and Threads; subscribing to the Jewish Boxing newsletter at Buy Me a Coffee for a one-time payment of $3; and using Amazon affiliate links on The JBB's Featured Books page. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Lev Jackson Off Friday's Card

Southpaw lightweight Lev Jackson had been scheduled to fight on Friday at the Taj Park Convention Centre in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Jackson told The Jewish Boxing Blog that his opponent backed out and unfortunately, a replacement could not be found.

Jackson is 3-1-1 with one KO and one no contest. The 31 year old is an exciting all-action fighter.

Lev Jackson to Fight in December

Southpaw lightweight Lev Jackson is scheduled to fight on December 1 at the Taj Park Convention Centre in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. The show is promoted by Bisla Boxing.

Jackson is a 31 year old with a record of 3-1-1 (one KO). This fight is basically a home game for Lev. Surrey, which borders the United States, is very close to his hometown of Vancouver.

No opponent has been named and the number of rounds has yet to be announced. Jackson last fought on July 20. He won a six-rounder by majority decision over Luis Prieto.

Introducing Lev Jackson

Southpaw Lev Jackson is an all-action brawler from East Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In six pro fights, the 31 year old has amassed a record of 3-1-1 with one no contest and one KO. He turned pro in 2019. After a two and a half year layoff, his career has revved up since November of 2021.

Jackson first became infatuated with boxing after watching Rocky as a kid. A precocious teenager, he became a boxing writer and covered local fights for various outlets. Lev starting training at 15 with the support of his mother.

The road hasn't been easy for Jackson. A two-time Canadian amateur featherweight champ, he has found success in the ring despite battling Crohn's disease. Because of the disease, he had to stop boxing for three years on doctor's orders. So, Lev temporarily joined the world of professional wresting.

After Jackson won his debut, he came away with a draw in his second fight. In his next bout, Lev slammed a right hook into Herman Cheuk's chin in the second round of their fight in July of 2022. Cheuk staggered back to the ropes and Jackson followed up, forcing the referee to stop the contest.

Aggressive southpaw volume punchers are rarer than a shy Jehovah's Witness, but Lev Jackson has created his own mold. Against the far more experienced Mario Victorino Vera last October, Jackson started the fight like he was "shot out of a cannon." It was his first six-rounder and he couldn't sustain his eye-popping activity. He dropped the decision.

An accidental headbutt last March halted the fight against Elroy Fruto when Jackson took the worst of the collision. Jackson had beaten Fruto twice in the amateurs. This past July, Lev learned from his mistakes and was far more patient in his second six-rounder. He earned a decision victory over Luis Prieto.

Jackson works with coaches Junior Moar and JY Kim. To compensate for Crohn's disease, he feels he has to train much harder than his opponents do. Fueled by hard work, Lev looks to follow in the footsteps of the many great Jewish Canadian boxers who have come before him.