By: Sean Crose
IBF Middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs will be watching Canelo Alvarez fight live and in person on Saturday as the Mexican star aims for super middleweight glory against WBA titlist Rocky Fielding. “Daniel Jacobs is gunning for a Middleweight World title unification battle with Canelo Alvarez in 2019,” promotional outlet Matchroom Boxing claims, “and the IBF World ruler says their showdown is one of the biggest fights in boxing.” Jacobs has been aligned with Matchroom kingpin Eddie Hearn for some time now, and is looking for major opposition. “Jacobs,” Matchroom claims, “wants Canelo to return to Middleweight and put his titles on the line in a huge Cinco de Mayo showdown.”
October 27, 2018; New York, NY, USA; Danny Jacobs and Sergey Derevyanchenko during their bout for the vacant IBF middleweight championship at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing USA
Photo Credit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing USA
Canelo-Jacobs would certainly be an interesting, high stakes affair. Both men are extremely skilled, both men hit hard, and both men have had tight battles with powerhouse Gennady Golovkin, battles which have all ended in controversial decisions. While many argue that Canelo didn’t deserve his decision win over Golovkin last autumn, many also feel that Golovkin didn’t deserve his decision win over Jacobs in 2017. Although Canelo is certainly the top star at middleweight, there is no consensus as to who the best middleweight in the word is right now. Jacobs’ name is certainly in the running.
“I’ll be there front and center on Saturday night,” says Jacobs. “It’s no secret that my focus is on Canelo. There is no other fight in boxing I want right now more than him.” The Brooklyn native rightly sees himself as a top level opponent for Canelo, who is widely regarded as boxing’s biggest star. “This is not only the absolute biggest fight to be made in the division,” Jacobs says, “but one of the biggest in all of boxing. As long as he takes care of business on Saturday night I’m ready to go. Let’s give the fans and the sport of boxing what they want and let’s get this done for May 4.”
Naturally, Hearn would love to see Jacobs and Canelo throw down in the spring. Indeed, it’s a fight that might be easy to make since Canelo is now associated with DAZN streaming service, which also broadcasts Hearn’s stable of fighters. “I’m rooting for a Rocky Fielding win this Saturday,” Hearn says, “and when Canelo returns to Middleweight, THE fight for May is the Canelo vs. Jacobs unification.”
Hearn is eager to have his man’s presence be felt at Madison Square Garden this weekend, which is where the Canelo-Fielding match will go down.
According to Hearn, Canelo-Jacobs is “a fight he (Jacobs) wants and one he believes he wins. He will be there on Saturday with among the star-studded crowd watching very closely.”
