Golovkin Denies Jacobs' Claim 'I Totally Am Being Overlooked'

By Keith Idec

NEW YORK – Gennady Golovkin scoffed at the idea Tuesday that he is overlooking Daniel Jacobs.

About half-an-hour earlier, though, Brooklyn’s Jacobs sat in the same chair Golovkin occupied inside Madison Square Garden and told a group of reporters he believes he is viewed almost as an afterthought as they move toward their March 18 middleweight championship match at Madison Square Garden. Jacobs still hears and reads from fans, media and others who are clamoring to see a long-awaited Golovkin-Canelo Alvarez fight later this year.

“Oh, I totally am being overlooked,” Jacobs said before a press conference at The Garden. “But does it matter to me? It doesn’t matter to me. I mean, they still can make the [Golovkin-Alvarez] fight happen. You know, [Golovkin] probably [is] gonna have that loss on his record. I’ll be front row, watching it. But I can’t do anything about that. Whatever their plans are, are gonna be their plans. But their mentality needs to be 100 percent on this fight, because I’m gonna be focused.”

The 34-year-old Golovkin (36-0, 33 KOs) is about a 9-1 favorite over the 29-year-old Jacobs (32-1, 29 KOs) in advance of their HBO Pay-Per-View main event. Kazakhstan’s Golovkin still hasn’t paid attention to those odds or talk of him finally fighting Mexico’s Alvarez (48-1-1, 34 KOs) later this year.

“No. No,” Golovkin said. “You know why? Because Daniel, he lives in the middleweight division. He’s bigger than me. He’s strong. I understand. Canelo, OK, Canelo’s Canelo. Canelo, maybe before [was] huge. No. Today [it’s] Daniel. My focus is on Daniel Jacobs.”

Tom Loeffler, managing director for K2 Promotions, has seen the same intense focus as usual from Golovkin since his fight against Jacobs was finalized last month.

“I can categorically say that Gennady and [trainer] Abel [Sanchez] are 100-percent focused on March 18th and Danny Jacobs,” Loeffler said. “It’s my job to look forward and see what’s potentially out there in the future. But everybody knows that if Gennady doesn’t win March 18th, every negotiation that I hold is out the window. So they’re focused 100 percent on Danny Jacobs and really consider him [a threat].

“Look, Danny Jacobs has 12 knockouts in a row. Gennady Golovkin has 23 knockouts in a row. I think that might be some record, 35 knockouts in a row combined, between the two fighters. I think it’s a good chance, and I think Abel would agree, that we won’t see the 12th round on March 18th.”

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.