The boxing world spoke and finally the fights the fans want to see are materializing. This morning after much speculation and rumor, it was formerly announced that Unified Middleweight World Champion, Gennady GGG Golovkin, (36-0, 33 KOs), will be defending his WBC, WBA, IBF, IBO titles against WBA Middleweight Champion and mandatory challenger, Daniel The Miracle Man Jacobs, (32-1, 29 KOs).
The bout will take place on Saturday, March 18, 2017 at Madison Square Garden, where Triple G has fought three times including making his pay-per-view debut there against David Lemieux back in October 2015.
Jacobs has also fought there three times recently, though the Brooklyn native has made the Barclays Center his pugilistic home.
In a seemingly disappointing year for HBO, mismatch fights like Canelo Alvarez vs. Amir Khan and Gennady Golvkin vs. Kell Brook did little to satiate the appetite of boxing fans.
Match-ups where people arent fighting to protect their record but are facing top level opponents in their prime to prove who truly is the best in the division is always craved in combat sports, and for too long HBO hasnt delivered the same content fans have been used to for years from the network.
With homegrown stars like Manny Pacquiao, Vasyl Lomachenko and Andre Ward all at the top of their respective games, it is a relief to see that egos can be put aside to make the fights that will truly matter.
“March 18th is a big night for the boxing world, said Keith Connolly of Team Jacobs in the press release. You have the two best middleweights in the world going head to head for the majority of the belts. What else could anyone ask for. This is a fight the boxing fans deserve.
We want to thank Al Haymon for all his tireless work over the last nine years helping put Danny into this position to have an opportunity to beat Gennady Golovkin, one of the best fighters in the world. Come March 18th Danny will come out on top and he will be taking all the belts back to Brooklyn, you can count on that”
Jacobs has knocked out his last eight opponents, including his most recent seventh round TKO of Sergio Mora in September to set the record straight about his controversial second round TKO of Mora almost a year earlier. After learning he was battling osteosarcoma, a life-threatening form of bone cancer in 2011, Jacobs received treatment that successfully removed the cancer. He returned to the ring in 2012 and hasnt lost a bout since.
Golovkin has been destroying the middleweight division, quietly gobbling up all the belts in a quest for supremacy. With a long-pending fight with Canelo Alvarez hopefully scheduled for late 2017, this match-up shows that Golovkin is truly unafraid to put his titles and his undefeated record on the line against the best.
I love fighting at Madison Square Garden, it feels like my second home, said Golovkin per a press release. Danny is a great fighter, one of the best middleweights and a big test for me. I look forward to another Big Drama Show in New York City.
Stated Jacobs, Im excited about facing Gennady and proving Im the best middleweight in the world. On March 18th Im bringing all the belts back to Brooklyn with me.
Were very excited to promote this outstanding matchup of the two best middleweights in the world, Gennady Golovkin and Danny Jacobs, said Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions. It doesnt get any better than this, the World Middleweight Championship at The Mecca of Boxing, its truly going to be a memorable evening.
With Gennadys previous fight at Madison Square Garden last October against David Lemieux selling out and Dannys huge Brooklyn fan base, we anticipate tickets will move very quickly.
Much credit has to be given to Al Haymon, manager of Jacobs, for working with Tom Loeffler and K2 Promotions. Although notoriously enigmatic and shrewd, Haymon has apparently made his peace with HBO, whom he snatched Floyd Mayweather from to negotiate his historic retirement deal with Showtime. In lieu of his Premier Boxing Champions brand also bringing boxing to free TV and cable channels, Haymon positioned Jacobs for a fight of this magnitude and is allowing it to happen.
Tickets for the bout go on sale this Saturday and with seats going as high as $1,000 for ringside. It truly has the makings of a NYC styled big fight night at the Garden.
