Middleweight world titleholder Daniel Jacobs, the second-most coveted boxing free agent behind former unified middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin, has made the rounds and will soon decide on his landing spot.
“Danny and I have had several meetings over the last few weeks discussing his next move. All major platforms have shown great interest in signing him and his decision will come down to which entity paves the way for him to be in mega fights and building his brand,” Keith Connolly, Jacobs’ manager, told ESPN on Saturday.
There are three main suitors for Jacobs’ services and Connolly has met with all three.
One is Premier Boxing Champions founder Al Haymon, who is also one of Jacobs’ advisers. A deal with PBC would put Jacobs on its broadcast partners, Showtime or Fox. Another is Top Rank, which has a long-term deal with ESPN.
Connolly has been talking to Top Rank president Todd duBoef about a deal. The third is fledgling sports streaming service DAZN, which recently signed unified middleweight world champion Canelo Alvarez — Jacobs’ most desired opponent — to a record five-year, 11-fight, $365 million deal.
“Our main targets in the immediate future are fights with Canelo, the GGG rematch and (interim middleweight titlist Jermall) Charlo,” Connolly said.
After Alvarez knocked out Rocky Fielding in the third round on Dec. 15 to win a secondary super middleweight world title at Madison Square Garden in New York in the first fight of the contract, Jacobs was in the ring. He congratulated Alvarez and they shook hands and smiled at each other.
Jacobs (35-2, 29 KOs), 31 of Brooklyn, New York, who won a vacant middleweight world title by split decision against Sergiy Derevyanchenko in a spirited fight on Oct. 27 at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, has been vocal about wanting to make a unification fight with Alvarez next. Alvarez is scheduled to next fight on May 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas but he has no opponent yet.
“For me, right now, I’m just making sure everything is taken care of before I step inside the ring again,” Jacobs said. “I may not be the A-side to a guy like Canelo but I’m a key player in the division and continue to build my name, build my brand. To me (Alvarez) is the right fight. Right now I’m focused on my next deal. It’s trusting in my team that hey can do their job because I’ve done my job. My job is to make sure I go inside that ring and win impressively and be crowd-pleasing.”
The win against Derevyanchenko was the last on Jacobs’ contract with HBO, which exited the boxing business after 45 years earlier this month, as well as the last of his deal with Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn. While Jacobs will be on a new broadcast platform, he plans to remain with Hearn.
“He’s done very well behind me, promoted me very well,” Jacobs said. “I’m happy where I’m at with him.”
Connolly added, “Our business structure will remain the same so any move we decide to make will involve Eddie Hearn and Al Haymon, but in the end Danny and I will go in the direction that brings him the most lucrative opportunities. Danny will be announcing his decision in the next few weeks.”
Golovkin, who outpointed Jacobs in a 2017 world title fight, is being pursued by the same three suitors as Jacobs and is also expected to announce his decision soon. Where he signs could influence Jacobs’ decision.
Hearn has a long-term deal to provide fights to DAZN, but he made clear that if Jacobs decides to sign with Top Rank/ESPN or PBC, he would still promote him on those platforms.
“I think early next year we should know what’s going on,” Jacobs said. “All can do right now is wait, but I’m waiting in a comfortable position. I’m excited, I’m anxious. But I want the big fights. I want to fight Canelo. If can’t get the fight which is the ultimate, which is Canelo, then we’re going to start going down the list of big fights. GGG to me is next in line. Then you have Jermall Charlo and then everybody else.”