Daniel Jacobs – the hunger remains

By: Sean Crose

On a snowy day back in the winter of 2017 I hopped on a Metro North in Connecticut and made my way down to Manhattan to cover the Genady Golovkin-Daniel Jacobs middleweight title fight. Defending champion Golovkin was at his peak at the time, going through one fighter after another while awaiting a major throwdown with Canelo Alvarez. Indeed, it seemed like New York’s own Jacobs was the closest a fighter could get to Canelo’s caliber without actually being Canelo. It’s doubtful, however, that anyone expected Jacobs to do what he did that long ago evening. For, after getting up from being dropped earlier in fight, Jacobs gave the feared Golovkin all the middleweight titlist could handle.

And while it was true that Golovkin ended up winning the fight via judge’s decision after twelve rounds, I was stunned to find that I had Jacobs actually winning the bout on my own scorecard. Granted, I was in the minority that night among the press, but those I relayed my personal scores to nodded their heads in understanding. Walking to Grand Central Station in the bitter cold at around 3 AM the next morning (the post fight press conference took forever to get going), I felt I had witnessed some kind of major event – for I believed Jacobs had – or should have – truly upset the apple cart.

Here I was, a huge Golovkin proponent being forced to admit to myself that no, the Kazakh warrior didn’t deserve the win that night. Not that it was hard to give Jacobs credit. The man was, and is, the picture of discipline. In an era of Ryan Garcia, Iraq war vet Jacobs still shows that a fighter can be stable while drawing attention to himself. Coupled with the fact that he always comes across as a nice guy, it was and remains hard not to be a Daniel Jacobs fan.

Still, it’s been a long time since that bitter cold New York night. Yet the now 37-4 Jacobs is returning to the ring this Saturday evening in Anaheim, California to battle Shane Mosely Jr . It will be Jacob’s first fight in two years. Now 37 years of age, Jacobs would no doubt get nods of approval should he decide after this weekend to give up the fight game once and for all. He’s never gotten the credit he’s deserved, though. That long ago Manhattan evening saw to that. Perhaps that’s the reason – or at least part of the reason – the hunger remains.