It’s the one we’ve all been waiting for. In a mouth-watering middleweight unification fight against Saul Alvarez on Saturday night, the question is simple: can the ‘Miracle Man’ defy the odds?
In a feat not accomplished since Floyd Mayweather in 2013, Danny Jacobs (35-2, 29 KOs) steps into the T-Mobile Arena ring on Saturday night against Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (51-1-2, 35 KOs) looking to secure a historic win. With the WBC, WBA (Super) and IBF middleweight world championship belts on the line, the prize for the victor is the knowledge that they will wake up Sunday morning just one piece of the 160-pound jigsaw shy from being the undisputed middleweight champion of the world.
Widely regarded as being two of the best three middleweights on the planet, this fight was announced sooner than expected. Talk of a third version of the Canelo-GGG war was rumoured to take precedent over this unification bout, however, Canelo’s unrivalled desire for greatness facilitated the chance for Jacobs to create some history of his own in Las Vegas, Nevada.
A win would arguably seal Saul Alvarez the coveted, yet mythical, #1 pound-for-pound spot. Staying unbeaten in a run against some formidable opponents over the past six years has crafted Canelo into the position of being the “face of boxing”, with possibly only Manny Pacquiao and Anthony Joshua laying claim to being as popular out of the current active fighters.
The odds are stacked against Danny Jacobs for good reason. Alvarez has been given the benefit of the doubt in his last two fights in Vegas, with controversy flowing down the famous strip in the hours that followed both encounters against Gennady Golovkin. Canelo is the Golden Boy of the sport, with Jacobs entering the ring on Saturday night with a belief that he needs to stop the Mexican inside the distance in order to write his own destiny.
Jacobs is the bigger man and will need to use his size as an advantage against the powerhouse that is Canelo. Movement inside and out of the pocket could forge openings, relying on Alvarez missing chances to counter with Jacobs’ ring IQ prevailing. Engaging in all out warfare with the favourite could ultimately prove DJ’s downfall. He’s shown that his whiskers are slightly vulnerable against big punchers, with Canelo expected to switch up attacks to the head and body with frequency and ferocity.
Canelo has proved his strength at the weight and with wicked body attacks; the Mexican is likely to target the gas tank of Jacobs early. DJ may get success early in the fight, but with Alvarez continuing the pressure into the championship rounds it looks likely to be taken on the scorecards.
Backing Jacobs to taste the canvas in the fight but hear the final bell would be a good market to single out for a small stake.
Saul Alvarez to beat Daniel Jacobs @ 3/10 (BetVictor)
Saul Alvarez to beat Daniel Jacobs by decision or technical decision @ 5/6 (BetFred)
