On May 4th, IBF middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs will challenge WBC, WBA champion Saul  "Canelo" Alvarez in a high stakes unification.

The contest was finalized last week, and likely takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The deal came as a surprise, because only a short time earlier it appeared that Canelo was being steered to a potential trilogy fight with Gennady Golovkin.

Canelo's promoter, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya, gave his company president, Eric Gomez, to make a trilogy fight with Golovkin.

Golovkin and Canelo fought to a twelve round split draw in 2017, and then Canelo won a close decision in their 2018 rematch.

According to De La Hoya, Golovkin was dragging his feet when it came to making a deal for a third fight - while Jacobs and his handlers jumped on the opportunity.

"It was basically that Jacobs' people were very motivated to make the fight. Jacobs has been very vocal in fighting Canelo Alvarez, fighting the very best, and you have to respect that. Daniel Jacobs is a fighter, he's a warrior. We built him, we made him. I remember watching that devastating loss to Pirog, which broke my heart," De La Hoya told Fighthype.com.

"And then I had to find out he had cancer, wrapped around his spine. And now he's back, and the doctors said he wouldn't walk, and he's fighting for world titles - it's an incredible story. I remember Danny Jacobs forever.

"When I mentioned to Eric Gomez, to forget about Triple G, that they were taking their sweet time and let's move on... that the fight will maybe happen some time in the future. When I gave him the orders to make the fight with Jacobs, it happened instantly. They agreed to it really fast. It really has been a pleasure working with Jacobs to make this fight happen."

Jacobs was promoted by Golden Boy for most of his career and left them in 2015.