By Keith Idec
NEW YORK – The prevailing feeling is that the Gennady Golovkin-Daniel Jacobs fight will end in a knockout.
Kazakhstan’s Golovkin (36-0, 33 KOs) and Brooklyn’s Jacobs (32-1, 29 KOs) have combined to knock out 90 percent of their professional opponents. Golovkin takes a 23-fight knockout streak into their middleweight title fight Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
Jacobs has won 12 straight bouts by knockout. The Brooklyn native also has been stopped by Dmitry Pirog and dropped by light-punching Sergio Mora, which seemingly makes him vulnerable against Golovkin.
Their trainers still think their HBO Pay-Per-View main event can last all 12 rounds.
“Honestly, I think this is gonna be a very good, competitive, long fight,” said Andre Rozier, Jacobs’ trainer. “I think it’s gonna go the distance because they’re both gonna be respectful of each other. If one makes a mistake, the other one makes him pay. So that’s gonna continually be on their minds. No one wants to continually get caught with dynamite, so I know, from my end, my son, my student, will be looking to manifest his capabilities as a boxer, first and foremost.
“And we’re gonna control the action in the ring. So we’re doing this round by round. We’re putting each round in the books. If it takes 12, so be it. If it takes five, so be it. But we will be prepared to deal with anything and everything, and win each round all the way to the championship.”
Rozier realizes why most people expect Golovkin-Jacobs to result in a knockout.
“Some people feel a certain way,” Rozier said. “When you engage, things can happen. But I honestly believe that they know we are gonna be razor-sharp when it comes to our boxing. So when we control it, this is why I say you can see a 12-round bout. They’re gonna be respectful of each other’s capabilities. If somebody picks it up, and somebody might land something, then they’ll be even more respectful. So I could see it being a 12-round boxing affair.”
Abel Sanchez, Golovkin’s trainer, doesn’t think a 12-round fight is out of the question, either. Sanchez also disagrees with those that think a full fight favors Jacobs.
“This could be a 12-round fight,” Sanchez said. “It could be a 12-round fight. We’re prepared for a 12-round fight, if Danny sticks around. But in the meantime, if he’s able to take 12 rounds, he’s gonna be punished for 12 rounds.”
Golovkin-Jacobs will headline HBO’s four-fight pay-per-view telecast, which is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT ($64.95 in HD).
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
