Middleweight contender Daniel Jacobs (33-2, 29 KOs) is a very interested party in the outcome of Saturday's clash between WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders and challenger David Lemieux.
The contest takes place on home soil for Lemieux, at Place Bell in Laval, Quebec, Canada.
Saunders (25-0, 12 KOs) vs. Lemieux (38-3, 33 KOs) will be headline an HBO televised tripleheader.
Saunders looked lackluster last year when he barely got past Artur Akavov, but he looked a lot better a few months ago when he won a twelve round unanimous decision over Willie Monroe Jr.
Training under new coach Dominic Ingle, who works with several other boxers like Kell Brook and Kid Galahad, Saunders appears to be in very good shape.
If Saunders is in indeed in good shape, and fully focused on the task at hand, Jacobs believes he will win the fight - unless Lemieux, who is a very dangerous puncher, lands one of his bombs on the chin.
"I think it's going to be up to truly which BJ Saunders shows up," Jacobs told Brian Campbell of CBS Sports' "In This Corner podcast."
"I think he's a very unique guy and we never know what we are going to get from him when he steps into the ring. I think he has a really good arsenal with the southpaw stance, one that will give Lemieux a lot of trouble. But he hasn't shown up in fights before. He has been getting hit with shots that typically he wouldn't get hit with.
"I'm thinking [Saunders] is going to come out with a win by decision unless Lemieux can get one of those lucky shots. Stylistically, I don't see Lemieux being able to keep up with that style."
Jacobs recently signed a multi-fight promotional deal with Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport. And he also signed an exclusive deal with HBO.
If the network, and Jacobs, get their wish - the Brooklyn boxer will face the winner of Saturday's fight in the first half of 2018.
"I was actually going to go to Montreal to be ringside and spectate for the fight because I want to be live and active and let these guys know that I'm here and that I want to be able to fight," Jacobs said.
"We are all with the same network so I think that it makes since for the winner of BJ Saunders and Lemieux to fight me because GGG and Canelo are already making plans to fight each other. Nothing else makes sense in my opinion."
