Danny Jacobs is heading back into the ring, determined to build off a defeat that, in many ways, was a victory.
Jacobs will fight Luis Arias later tonight at the former Nassau Coliseum, now called NYCB Live, his first bout under a promotional agreement with Ed Hearn that he hopes will lead him back to a title.
Last March at Madison Square Garden, Jacobs lost a close decision to Gennady Golovkin. It was the first time Triple G went the distance, and Jacobs held his own throughout the 12 rounds.
The next step is for Jacobs, a native New Yorker, to build on that showing and further establish himself as a top middleweight contender.
“It’s the best thing I can possibly do for my career, another chance to display my skills on a huge platform,” Jacobs says of the HBO fight against the unbeaten Arias (18-0, 9 KOs).
Few platforms can be as big as taking on Golovkin, whose draw with Canelo Alvarez last month has led to a rematch between those two. Jacobs wants to prove he should be in the mix for the winner.
That hunt for another title begins with Jacobs carrying a 32-2 mark with 29 knockouts. He held the WBA middleweight title for two years, but was not considered to be in Golovkin’s or Alvarez’s class until he nearly beat Triple G.
Arias believes that Jacobs is right there for the taking and he plans to make a name for himself by pulling off a major upset.
"People are saying that I'm rubbing people the wrong way by being disrespectful, but how am I being disrespectful? It facts - everything I have said I backed it up with a fact. I said it a little loud but it was a fact. Did he or did he not get knocked out? Has he been dropped? He has - multiple people have put him down," Arias said.
"You're looking at this fight by the names. Take away the names and take away the stories and simply look a the facts - he's been hurt, he's been dropped and he's been knocked out. I haven't been hurt, I haven't been dropped, I've been fighting bigger guys my whole career and I'm ready for this fight. Like I said, I put the work in, I've done everything I've needed to do, I am physically ready, I'm mentally ready and I'm ready to shock the world."
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