Jermall Charlo vs Daniel Jacobs: A Grudge Match Long Overdue
Its seems everyone in boxing is trying to figure out the next move of unified middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez and former middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin. Meanwhile, two other top middleweights don’t seem to have big fights on their respective horizons. At least, not against the guys, they have their eyes set on.
By name, these fighters are Jermall Charlo and Daniel Jacobs.
Charlo is still fresh off the first defense of his WBC middleweight title against Brandon Adams on June 29. Prior to the match, the WBC elevated him from interim champion to full champion. This move would make the fight all the more relevant for both competitors.
As for Jacobs, he finds himself in a not so favorable position. He lost his IBF strap in a clear decision loss to Canelo Alvarez back in May. Now, let’s rewind back to 2018. Things started to get interesting between the two after Charlo allegedly accused Jacobs of ducking him by signing a network deal with HBO.
The Confrontation
On March 4, after the WBC heavyweight title fight between champion Deontay Wilder and Luis Ortiz, Charlo was backstage giving an interview where he was asked about Jacobs. He stated he was looking for Jacobs, who had called for a fight with him after he defeated Luis Arias.
As the interview continued, Jacobs happened to walk by and that’s where the verbal altercation began. The back and forth banter between the two was entertaining. Unfortunately, that didn’t lead to a fight.
With no big fight on the horizon for the second half of the year, this match-up makes a ton of sense. While it’s unlikely to happen this year, Jacobs’ manager, Keith Connolly has stated the former champion, who intends to move up to 168 this year, would be interested in moving back down to 160 for a fight with Charlo and rematch with Golovkin.
Charlo would have a chance to take on the biggest opponent in his career while simultaneously earning a career high payday and settling their feud. As for Jacobs, he would have a chance to become a two-time middleweight champion and get himself right back in the “big fight” conversation.
At one point, the former IBF champion made a statement that Charlo was not a champion and wasn’t touching “M’s” (money). Now, while the WBC champion may not be getting the same kind of money Jacobs received to fight Alvarez, he is now a step ahead in terms of “status” in the division.
By: Jerrell Fletcher
