In a strange development, Danny Jacobs did not appear for this morning’s same-day weigh-in conducted by the IBF. Gennady Golovkin, who will of course be defending his belts against Jacobs tonight in New York, tipped in at 169.6 pounds at the same-day weigh-in check, but whatever happens in the fight, Jacobs will not be able to win the IBF title.
Stated IBF President Lindsey Tucker:
“Golovkin is defending his IBF title, however Jacobs cannot acquire the title with a victory because he did not participate in the required IBF same-day weigh-in.”
It’s an odd move on the part of Jacobs, who made the weight limit of 160 at the official weigh-in yesterday with no problems. Why today’s no-show? Yesterday, Jacobs tweeted how his weight is “on point and I’m ready to prove myself to the world tomorrow night.”
But if Jacobs pulls off the miracle and wins, will his triumph be at least a little tarnished due to this odd development? If GGG were to suffer the upset defeat, his IBF belt would become vacant. Still, all of this will be soon forgotten, and it’s likely Jacobs has done what he’s done merely to avoid having to pay the IBF’s sanctioning fee.. The fight is now just hours away and fans are both braced for, and hoping for, a classic slugfest.
Abel Sanchez, trainer of Triple-G, says he is fully expecting a fast start from Jacobs, whereby the challenger will jump right on Golovkin. Could we be in store for an opening three minutes comparable to those unforgettable 180-seconds Hagler and Hearns gave us over 30 years ago!
Let’s keep hoping. Never has that opening round been topped in terms of sheer, unadulterated action. Of course, coming out so fast can be hazardous, extremely so – for both fighters. Look instead for Jacobs to use his considerable boxing skills early on, if not all throughout the fight. Jacobs’ best shot of winning could well be to box, not to try and slug it out with the champ.