By Keith Idec
NEW YORK – Daniel Jacobs made it clear early Sunday morning that fighting Gennady Golovkin again is his top priority.
It’s highly unlikely Brooklyn’s Jacobs will be able to land that rematch next, however, which could leave Jacobs looking for another opponent in the third fight of his exclusive HBO deal. Jacobs told HBO’s Max Kellerman in the ring following his win against Maciej Sulecki that he’s more than willing to make Jermall Charlo that opponent.
Jacobs and Charlo had a highly publicized confrontation in the bowels of Barclays Center after Deontay Wilder knocked out Luis Ortiz in their WBC heavyweight title fight March 3 in Brooklyn (https://www.boxingscene.com/jermall-charlo-daniel-jacobs-confronting-me-just-an-act--125899).
Charlo (27-0, 21 KOs) would be a dangerous opponent for Jacobs (34-2, 29 KOs), but their fight wouldn’t be as lucrative for Jacobs as a rematch with Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs) or a fight against Canelo Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs).
“Well, ultimately, we wanna go for the guys with the belts,” Jacobs told Kellerman. “We want the green belts. We wanna go for the guys with the strap. But if we can’t get those guys, we’re gonna go down the list of great contenders and challengers. And if Brooklyn wants Charlo, Charlo, where you at, boy? Come see me. I’m the king of Brooklyn, baby. You know what it is.”
Houston’s Charlo knocked out Hugo Centeno Jr. (26-2, 14 KOs, 1 NC) in the second round April 21 at Barclays Center to win the WBC interim middleweight title. The former IBF junior middleweight champ is the mandatory challenger for Golovkin’s WBC middleweight title.
Like Jacobs, who became the mandatory contender for Golovkin’s WBA middleweight title Saturday night, Charlo probably will have to wait much longer than he’d like to get a shot at Golovkin. If the heavily favored Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs) beats Vanes Martirosyan (36-3-1, 21 KOs) on May 5 in Carson, California, he is expected to embrace a rescheduled rematch against Alvarez on September 15.
2023-10-20 22:54:58
