Is a GGG vs Jacobs rematch appropriate next up? Considering how close their fight was. A few things to consider.
Calls for a GGG vs Jacobs rematch continue in some quarters of the boxing sphere following a close battle this past weekend at Madison Square Garden.
Amidst the anticipation and fluctuation of betting odds leading up to this weekend’s night of ‘Middleweight Madness’ in New York between Daniel Jacobs and Gennady Golovkin there was a consistent, nagging feeling that the whole ordeal was being overshadowed by potential super fights further down the line for Kazakhstan’s reigning world champion, the obvious being a meeting with Canelo Alvarez.
He promised us a ‘big drama show’ and that’s undoubtedly what we got, though not in the sense he was expecting. The drama emanated from the fact that Triple G came ever so close to losing his beloved Middleweight gold and, perhaps more importantly, his reputation as the most dangerous boxer on the planet.
Over the course of 36 engaging minutes mistimed thoughts of future bouts to come were slowly and calculatedly subsidised thanks to a controlled and well-executed game plan from the hometown underdog who managed to take Golovkin to the twelve round limit for the first time in years, ending his legendary KO streak in the process.
Triple G’s fans in attendance became noticeably quieter as the fight progressed, a reaction matched by some media outlets at ringside and around the world who had Danny Jacobs ahead after the final bell had sounded – myself included (115-113 Jacobs).
To many it seemed there was going to be a new unified Middleweight world champion as the mythos of the ‘Kazakh Destroyer’ crumbled before their very eyes.
Though, it was not to be.
As I’m sure you know by now the judges at ringside scored a close, controversial unanimous decision in favour of the already heavily favoured Golovkin and the online boxing stratosphere were quick to respond, as we always are.
The response has been understandably mixed, a fifty-fifty split in fan feedback. A true ‘call what you like’ kind of scrap.
After the fight, Golovkin was still adamant Alvarez was his next target, however now some 76 hours later WBO titleholder Billy Joe Saunders seems to be the prime candidate.
Taking a step back from what is apparently to come, I feel it is important not to understate the relevance of what Daniel Jacobs was able to achieve Saturday night.
In a fight in which many predicted he would be flatted in traditional Golovkin style he was able to land pretty effectively and with a certain level of ease, visibly causing issues in Golovkin landing his trademark power shots, even trading with him at times.
He was even comfortable enough to talk to Triple G throughout the fight, a level of confidence we have not see in any Golovkin opponent until now.
To top it off his head and upper body movement (aside from the knockdown) proved to be exceptional when he needed it most, ducking and diving uncharacteristic swings from the champion.
Bottom line, Danny Jacobs performed better than anyone who has as of yet shared a ring with Golovkin and boxed so well to the point at which many felt he may have even taken the belts home to Brooklyn.
Which is why I feel he is deserving of an immediate GGG vs Jacobs rematch.
Now, as we all know, it’s very unlikely that any of the relevant organisations will be keen to impose an immediate rematch with Jacobs on Triple G, especially considering the money and promotion that is at stake in a potential Canelo super fight.
On top of that, these organisations never normally demand second meetings unless the scorecards were drastically off – in either fighters favour.
Yes, some do believe Danny Jacobs is the rightful victor but it would be difficult to deny some of the rounds were close, a factor which ultimately led to three close scorecards.
Had the cards offered Golovkin as the winner in a much wider fashion, then the question could be reasonably raised. For now, those hopeful for a GGG vs Jacobs rematch must put their faith in the hands of the promoters and the fighters themselves.
However, whether a GGG vs Jacobs rematch takes place or not it’s impossible to say that Jacobs did not expose the vulnerability of Golovkin’s ‘gun-ho’ style and capitalised on the partial blueprint laid by Kell Brook last year.
No, the champion was never hurt but found it difficult to land on his rangier challenger at times, which is why the final punch stats showing Golovkin as the dominant aggressor are suspicious to say the least (Triple G apparently ousted Jacobs by over 50 punches).
If Golovkin is to maintain this allure of insatiable power and ferocity in his style, before he can even think of moving on to other opponents he should close the book on the Jacobs chapter and definitively prove once and for all he is the best Middleweight in the world – and that only happens with a GGG vs Jacobs rematch.
Forget Canelo. If nothing else, the big-wigs at HBO should be clambering for a sequel for the simple reason that it was a damn good fight and had audiences everywhere biting at the nails for numerous reasons.
If that’s not a ‘big drama show’ I don’t know what is.
Credit where credit is due. Congratulations to both Gennady Golovkin and Danny Jacobs on a fantastic night’s work.
Here’s hoping we’ll see these two share a ring again, sooner rather than later.
