Former middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs. Photo credit: Getty Images
After a 17-year professional career, Daniel Jacobs has announced his retirement from the ring.
The 37-year-old from Brooklyn, Fresh York, who first burst onto the scene as the “Golden Child” before his remarkable comeback from cancer earned him the nickname “The Miracle Man,” retired after losing a ten-round unanimous decision to Shane Mosley Jr. on July 6.
Jacobs, who has a final record of 37-5 (30 knockouts), took to social media to share his journey through the sport, crediting boxing with helping him become more than what his surroundings growing up in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn prepared him for.
“Boxing shaped me into the man I am today,” Jacobs wrote.
“I always dreamed of being a champion in life and when boxing found me, I was a penniless kid growing up in Brownsville, Brooklyn, with no great expectations. As a adolescent black kid, I was forced into an identity that I was not vital or would not be [amount] to anything vital in life. I was told that the ghetto I grew up in was full of criminals with no future and that I would be a statistic like my peers and those who came before me; dead or in prison with no potential to get out or succeed. Now I can proudly say that I am a Rose that grew out of the concrete in Brooklyn. I have proven so many people wrong. I can proudly say that I am a living example of what it looks like to take your destiny into your own hands. And when you accept yourself and your God-given talents, what can you achieve.”
Jacobs first shined as an amateur, winning four Fresh York Golden Gloves titles — plus two National Golden Gloves championships — and narrowly missed out on making the U.S. Olympic team in 2008, losing to Shawn Estrada. Jacobs won his first 20 fights as a pro but was stopped in five rounds by Dmitry Pirog in his first title shot in 2010. Jacobs’ career took a grave hit the following year when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a uncommon bone cancer that nearly paralyzed him.
Against all odds, Jacobs returned to the ring the following year, winning another ten fights, winning the WBA “regular” middleweight title and defending it with a first-round knockout of Peter Quillin and two knockouts of Sergio Mora. His winning streak ended with a unanimous decision loss to Gennady Golovkin in 2017, when he was knocked down once in a tough fight in which he exceeded expectations.
Jacobs won the IBF middleweight title in 2018 with a split decision victory over Sergiy Derevyanchenko at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, a win that earned him the biggest payday of a middleweight title unification fight with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, which was part of a $10 million deal with DAZN.
Jacobs lost that fight by unanimous decision and fought sparingly after that, going 2-2 in his remaining four fights. The loss to Mosley came 29 months after his previous fight, a split decision loss to John Ryder, suggesting Jacobs was on the way out.
In his post, Jacobs thanked many people who have influenced his life, including the teachers at school who helped him get an education and the community at Starrett City Boxing Gym, a community gym in the East Fresh York section of Brooklyn where he and many other top fighters got their start. He also thanked his son Nathaniel, whom he described as “the reason I fight and the reason I live.”
Keith Connolly, an advisor who helped Jacobs throughout his career, paid tribute to Jacobs in an Instagram post shortly after the Mosley fight.
“I spent 20 years in the boxing world with Danny Jacobs. I was with him from day one and I was with him until the end. What an incredible fighter. He won 2 world championships AFTER beating cancer and AFTER coming back from months of being paralyzed from the waist down. It was a lifelong honor to represent you and be your friend. Thank you for all the emotions you gave me. What a career, enjoy your retirement,” Connolly wrote.
In a sport where few achieve their goals and have a composed mind, Jacobs is a uncommon example of someone leaving the industry on his own terms.
“Through the ups and downs inside and outside the ring, I have managed to become a two-time world champion and I can say that I am the first cancer survivor to become a world boxing champion, which is the greatest accomplishment I have ever been able to achieve. Being able to inspire others with my story has always made me feel like my life means more than just fighting in the ring. A true miracle worker. Well done,” Jacobs wrote.
The World Boxing Council (WBC) ordered world cruiserweight champion Badou “The Ripper” Jack (20-1-1, 19 KO) to make a mandatory title defense against Ryan “The Bruiser” Rozicki (20-1), number 1 in the WBC ranking – 1, 19 KOs).
If both camps fail to successfully negotiate an agreement, the WBC will organize a tender on February 4, followed by the Jack vs. Rozicki. Rozicki’s promoter, Three Lions Promotions, immediately sent Team Jacek an offer to promote the fight in Canada last week.
“We are waiting for their counteroffer,” explained promoter Dan Otter of Three Lions Promotions. “Boxing has had a huge resurgence in Canada and Ryan is leading the way. He is one of the most electrifying and hardest-hitting fighters in boxing, definitely in the cruiserweight division. He wants the WBC green belt and ultimately the unification of the division. Ryan will fight Jack anywhere for the belt.”
29-year-old Rozicki, born in Sydney (Nova Scotia) and living in Hamilton (Ontario), fought 22 professional fights against 21 different opponents (twice against Yamil Alberto Peralta), stopping 19 of the 20 opponents he defeated. an eye-opening 95-KO percentage.
Jack, 41, was a 2008 Olympian representing his native Sweden. He is a three-division world champion, as well as the WBC super middleweight and World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight heavyweight title holder. Jack has a record of 5-0-2 (2 KO) in world championship fights.
“We respect Jack and I don’t want to sound disrespectful,” Otter added, “but he’s over 40 years vintage and has been relatively inactive for two years (only one fight). He brings a lot of experience and respect to the ring, but he will fight a newborn defender with a lot of power. Jack is going to struggle and honestly, I don’t think he’ll make it past the first few rounds.”
Ryan Rozicki is on a mission to become the first Canadian cruiserweight world champion.
Floyd Mayweather’s incredible 50-0 record is not normal and cannot be repeated in sports for another seventy years.
This is the view of Saudi Arabian president Turki Alalshikh, who wants to adopt the UFC model in which fighters lose many fights during their career.
In a speech as he hosted the Ring Magazine Awards after acquiring the long-running boxing publication from Oscar De La Hoya, Alalshikh was unequivocal in his opinion.
“Now losing some fights in boxing must be normal,” he explained. “All fighters want a career similar to Floyd Mayweather – no losses. This may happen once every 50, 60 or 70 years.
“We need it [to be] like currently in the UFC model, where champions lose and win,” added the matchmaker during the Riyad season.
Mayweather rose through the sport in the tardy 1990s to become one of its youngest superstars. Mayweather’s professional success came after winning a bronze medal at the Olympics after losing to Serafim Todorov.
Winning world titles in five weight classes, Mayweather was untouchable. The Grand Rapids native only came close to defeat a few times. He dominated Manny Pacquiao and overtook Canelo Alvarez and Oscar De La Hoya after heated debates, with decisions that should have been made unanimously.
Towards the end of his career, Mayweather chose to face Andre Berto and Conor McGregor, easily winning and ending his boxing career at the age of 50 without ever going out. Calling himself “the greatest of all time,” Mayweather earned first-ballot Hall of Fame honors and is widely considered one of, if not the greatest defensive fighter of all time.
However, Alalshikh says this type of career needs to end so that fans can get the most out of boxing, as is the case with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Boxing needs to become more attractive, and Alalshikh sees the failures of top stars as a way to keep interest at an all-time high.
In this sport, many boxers enjoy undefeated streaks, the most notable of which is Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian Pound for Pound King is 23-0 and has beaten the best he has to offer in his division and cruiserweight classification.
It remains a mystery how Alalshikh plans to make Usyk suffer while he dominates everyone else. By the time his grand plan goes into action, Usyk will be long gone, and Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney may be more realistic targets.
WBN understands that despite alternative options emerging, it is more likely that Manny Pacquiao will face Mario Barrios next.
Bob Santos, coach of WBC welterweight champion Barrios, told World Boxing News that he is currently in contact with Pacquiao’s team. Asked by WBN if he had spoken to Pacquiao or representatives of any other challenger, Santos replied: “Yes, Pacquiao’s promoter, Sean Gibbons.” Pressed on whether Barrios vs Pacquiao might happen next, he added: “It’s challenging to say. We’ll have to see how this plays out.”
WBN contacted Santos after Conor Benn emerged as a potential alternative to Barrios. The British fighter, who recently returned from a suspension following two positive drug tests, is keen to return to competition.
Benn showed favor with the World Boxing Council at the recent WBC Convention, the WBC Evaluation Committee and during an interview with the sanctioning body over the weekend. “The Destroyer” is ranked second in the rankings at 147 pounds, despite less than solid opponents during his time in exile, during which Benn competed twice in the United States while his career in the United Kingdom was in doubt.
As he battled to clear his name and with the British Anti-Doping Authority finding no evidence that Benn had intentionally taken ostarine, the 28-year-old’s career took a pointed nosedive. Despite this, he remains highly rated and at least one step away from fighting for an eliminator or one of the remaining championship titles.
However, Pacquiao remains Barrios’ favorite. Now it’s up to the boxing legend and Hall of Famer who got the first votes to secure his shot. WBN believes a July date – most likely at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas – is the most realistic date for a Nevada swan song.
Pacquiao could extend his record as the oldest welterweight champion by six years if he can secure a huge victory over the 29-year-old world champion. At 46 years antique, such a scenario remains unlikely, but he can never be compared to one of the greatest players of this generation.
Unlike heavier boxers and his training regiment, Pacquiao looks in great shape despite his advanced age. Everything is set for a massive return to the boxing capital of the world, provided Pacquiao and his team can manage his political ambitions, which are expected to run from this month until May. After that time, Pacquiao could find himself in the summer finals and become the all-time champion, regardless of the result.
Barrios is based in the city, where he trained with Santos, and would be the perfect opponent to see out the career of one of the greatest fighters in history.
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