IBF middleweight champion Danny Jacobs does want the world title unification with Canelo Alvarez. But he would be open to taking on a man who no longer holds a world title, Kazakhstan’s Gennady Golovkin.
“Of course I would be interested in a ‘GGG’ rematch. I thought I won the first fight and a lot of fans thought I won the first fight. It was kind of 50-50, however you want to look at it. I feel like it’s deserving of a rematch. So if I can’t get the fight that is the ultimate, which is Canelo, then we’re going to start going down the list of big fights and ‘GGG’ to me is next in line and then you have Jermall Charlo and everybody else,” Jacobs said. “I have a list of fighters that I want to fight and I’m not going to retire until I get those opportunities.”
His last victory, over Sergey Derevyanchenko, a former sparring partner, was good preparation for Golovkin. “I don’t think any fight goes exactly the way you want it to go. It wasn’t a sparring session for me. He wasn’t the same as if he was in sparring and that’s been a big thing for me going into the fight. Because I’ve said that sparring is different from actually being inside the ring. Because when you have bigger gloves on and you have the headgear, you can’t gauge how a guy’s going to take your punch. You can’t gauge how a guy’s going to take the speed and everything else. I knew he didn’t have that experience and looking back on it I give myself a really good grade because I fought I monster and it’s as simple as that. So I congratulate myself and I look forward to bigger and better things,” Jacobs said.
The American insists that he has not suffered physical wear and tear after his fight with Golovkin in 2017. “Abel Sanchez [Golovkin’s trainer] said that I lost a step or I haven’t looked the same since I fought ‘GGG,’” Jacobs said.
“But the bigger question is how has ‘GGG’ looked since he fought me? That’s the bigger question. I still feel like I’m in my prime. Obviously there’s wear and tear when you’re stepping in there with guys who are of world class calibre. I don’t plan on boxing for the rest of my life. I’ve got a good couple of years in me. But these good years I’m able to give my best.”
