I spent about an hour on the phone with Jalil Hackett’s father, Bernard Hackett this morning, afternoon for him. As it seems to be the case with most great interviews, technology ruined it. From problems with the signal to the audio recording inevitably getting corrupted, the interview which felt like a classic will be one of the greatest “what-if’s” in my podcasting history, and a great mistake in my part not sharing a truly great boxing conversation.

Instead of having that interview go to waste, along with getting an hour of Bernard Hackett’s time, which he will never get back, I instead decide to write to sum up one of the lingering thoughts from the interaction we had.

Jalil Hackett, nicknamed “Major”, signed with Mayweather Promotions at a young age, and the big part, his father explained that Mayweather Promotions has groomed him for is the stardom, the exposure, and the way things are at the next level.

Hackett recalled Floyd Mayweather looking over to Jalil one day and asking him “…if he is ready for this!”

His son’s response – “I want to fight.”

Mayweather once again repeated, “…are you ready for this.”

Hackett is being groomed to be a star, and Mayweather Promotions as we’ve seen with Gervonta Davis is in the business of building fighters into global brands, and main attraction fighters. Hackett is being poised and thought of as an emerging talent that many have hopes to go to that level.

Yet, Hackett’s second fight on win this past weekend, was bigger than most might expect, as the unsuspecting eye would look at and see it as a developmental fight on a club show. Yet, that is why you come to my site since I will give you the context.

The fight was actually dedicated to six-year-old Nyiah Courtney who sadly lost her life due to senseless gun violence plaguing poor and underfunded communities in the U.S. Jalil wore a t-shirt with her picture on it to the ring, and fought in Washington D.C., on Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna’s Rising Star Promtions, this past Friday, allowing her friends, and family to be in attendance, and watch him put on an amazing performance along with a YouTube video that went with it.

This was big since a lot of people might not have been to travel to the fight, but being on a local card, allowed for those still grieving, to grieve with others while watching Hackett’s talent.

The point of boxing is to progress, and Hackett has done that. One-step further after each fight, subtle improvement, like the old saying says, “1% perecent better each day,” yet now his progress is also in being a role-model in his community as he looks to be a pillar of support, and strength to those who have felt afflicated by violence uprooting a loved one.

It is also a credit to Floyd Mayweather’s Mayweather Promotions, for allowing Hackett to fight on a local promoters card, to allow him to make this connect to his local city.

For those unaware, the two major new signees to Mayweather Promotions are Jalil Hackett, as well as “The Young Destroyer” David Lopez of Oakland, California, and I have high hopes for both.

Hackett, also made mention of the fact that Hackett did fifteen rounds with Gervonta Davis, and that experience along with being around Coach Calvin Ford, and Coach Kenny Ellis helped him get experience to know he is a world-level fighter.

Gervonta Davis is one of the best fighters in the world, and to be in camp with him, and get praise from his coaches says a lot. Now for Hackett it is about putting things together, as each fight he needs to improve from his last.

Hackett stopped his opponent Latorie Woodberry in one round, as the 18-year-old Leonard Ellerbe once told had to graduate from Cardozo High School before he could sign with Mayweather Promotions is already establishing himself as a fighter to keep a keen eye on.

Hackett has pedigree, a father who is actively involved and proven in the amateur circuit, now it is just allowing himself to grow, and not let the hurdles of life be too much.

There is so much to like about Hackett right now – why not start following him from this point forward.

Hopefully, next time I talk to his father, I don’t mess up the zoom call – because it was a wonderful conversation.