Gennady Golovkin vs Danny Jacobs-Big Middleweight Title Fight Next Weekend

It's been awhile since I have written anything about boxing, and there is an upcoming fight that I am looking forward to so I thought I would share my thoughts on it.

Next weekend is when the fight that I am looking forward to is coming up. On March 18th, undefeated middleweight king, Gennady Golovkin is expected to defend his title against probably the best possible middleweight opponent he has ever faced so far, Danny Jacobs.

Below is a very well produced mini-documentary by HBO to preview this fight.

Golovkin, also known as GGG, has been on a tear with 22 consecutive KO’s in a row. He has started to develop of aura of invincibility and destructiveness similar to a young Mike Tyson. Style-wise he can be compared to Julio Cesar Chavez Sr though, who was one of the greatest pressure fighters of all time.

Even though GGG is from Kazakhstan, his fighting style resembles a Mexican style just like Chavez had. His notable amateur career includes an Olympic silver medal from back in the 2004 games, a gold medal in the amateur World Championships in 2003, and finishing his amateur career with a very impressive record of 345-5.

There has been a big problem in his career however, and that is a lack of quality opposition. There is no denying that GGG is a monster. He has freakish power for a 160 lbs fighter, and there is no shortage of rumours in the gym of him dropping/KOing sparring partners who are light heavyweights, cruiserweights, and heavyweights.

This has created a situation where the best fighters in and around his division have been avoiding him.The most notable example being Canelo Alvarez, who dropped his lineal middleweight title that he won from Miguel Cotto, and moved back down in weight to 154 instead to avoid the Golovkin fight. It’s easy to place the blame on Canelo for this, but his promoters call the shots, not him. They(Golden Boy Promotions) are clearly waiting for GGG to age a bit before putting the much younger Canelo in the ring together. It may be a smart strategic move for Canelo, but the fans(myself included) are quite unhappy with the Canelo/GGG fight taking so long to make.

Gologkin’s opponents is Danny “The Miracle Man” Jacobs, and he sports a record of 32-1-0 with 29 KOs. His amateur record was 137-7 before turning pro in 2007.

Jacobs’ personal story is nothing short of inspirational. In 2012, Danny was diagnosed with a very rare form of bone cancer known as osteosarcoma. Surgery was performed on his spine to remove the cancer, followed by many rounds of intense radiation therapy. Doctors told him he would be lucky to walk again, let alone continue his career as a professional athlete. After a 19 month absence from the ring, he returned and is now cancer-free and back in top form.This story is presented in the documentary below.

Unlike some of GG’s previous opponents, Jacobs offers a real challenge. He is a boxer/puncher with above average power and good ring IQ. I still predict Golovkin to win via KO due to Jacob’s questionable chin, but Danny certainly has a chance here. He feels that Golovkin was partially exposed in his last fight against the undersized Kell Brook, and this fight will tell us all if that was true. It should be an exciting contest no matter who wins, as it is the best middleweight fight that could be made at the moment. Be sure to tune in for it on March 18th if you are looking to watch a good fight.