By Patrick McHugh: IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and Daniel Jacobs are still in negotiations for a fight that is being targeted for December 10 at Madison Square Garden in New York. The World Boxing Association has already given the two fighters’ management a 30-day deadline to negotiate the fight starting on September 12.
With less than a week to go, it appears the fight will go to a purse bid unless an agreement can be made soon. While Golovkin’s promoter Tom Loeffler is hopeful that an agreement can be reached, it’s not a good sign that they’re down to the last week. There’s a possibility the Golovkin-Jacobs fight could get moved to 2017.
If that’s the case, Golovkin won’t be able to get a third fight for 2016. However, it will give Loeffler a little more time to try and negotiate the fight. What you don’t want to see is Jacobs pushing the fight constantly into the future like we’re seeing with Saul Canelo Alvarez. At some point, the WBA needs to step in and make a decision what they’re going to do if the fight can’t get made. Do they strip Jacobs? It sounds like it might be a better option to let the fight go to a purse bid and then play from there.
“Our goal would be to work out a deal,” said Loeffler to RingTV.com. “This (is) always more productive.” He added of the discussions, “Still trying to work out the details, hopefully we will have some resolution soon.”
Loeffler has booked Madison Square Garden in New York for the fight. However, Jacobs reportedly wants the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Jacobs has fought at that venue two out of his last three fights. It’s unclear how it would benefit Golovkin if he were to agree to fight Jacobs in that location. Hopefully, this doesn’t become a sticking point too. Of course, if it goes to a purse bid, there won’t be any choice in the matter. The winner of the bid will pick where the fight will take place. It would be good for them to come to an agreement before it come sot that.
Jacobs, 29, usually fights on Showtime, but he’s said to be open to fighting on HBO where Golovkin (36-0, 33 KOs) is under contract.
This would good to get this fight out of the way so that one of the champions is eliminated. Jacobs (32-1, 29 KOs) has been underwhelming in terms of the competition he’s faced since winning the vacant World Boxing Association 160lb title two years ago against Jarrod Fletcher. Since then, Jacobs has beaten the following fighters: Carlos Truax, Sergio Mora x 2 and Peter Quillin. It was disappointing to many boxing fans to see Jacobs fight fringe contender Sergio Mora a second time recently in September considering that Jacobs had already stopped Mora in September 2015 in a 2nd round stoppage.
It was Jacobs’ management’s decision for him to fight Mora a second time. You can argue that there were far better options available to Jacobs than Mora. Just why his management went with a second fight against Mora is anyone’s guess. Hopefully, this kind of thing won’t be a pattern in the future for Jacobs with him fighting guys twice for no real reason.
Golovkin defeated welterweight Kell Brook by a 5th round knockout win last September in London, England. Brook was competitive for two rounds, and then took punishment and was forced to run from the 3rd round. Some boxing fans see it as a moral victory for Brook that he was able to land some shots in the fight and make it to the 5th round. However, the moral victory was bitter sweet for Brook, as he suffered a broken right eye socket in the fight, and it’s unknown whether the injury will negatively impact the remainder of his career. Brook broke apart under the power of Golovkin’s shots.
Having seen Jacobs’ past fights, he does do well when he’s forced to stand and trade. His chin is definitely suspect. Jacobs was stopped by Dmitry Pirog in the 5th round in 2010. Jacobs has faced a lot of poor opposition since that fight. Peter Quillin I the only guy that you can point to and say that was a quality fighter.