With 2019’s biggest fight about to be unleashed, as Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs both aim to unify the middleweight division, Sporting News looks back at five key bouts that helped shape this dream fight at 160 pounds.
MORE: Join DAZN and watch Canelo vs. Jacobs on May 4
Gennady Golovkin vs. Daniel Jacobs, March 2017
Daniel Jacobs had shared a ring with an Eastern European monster long before he took on Gennady Golovkin. In 2010, Jacobs, very much a focal point of Golden Boy’s then-expansion, took on undefeated Russian, Dmitry Pirog, for the WBO middleweight title, but he was splattered in five rounds. This fight accompanied Jacobs every single day when approaching his challenge to Golovkin in 2017, but the demons remaining from the bout were soon to be exorcised in a spirited losing effort that could’ve gone either way.
Jacobs, his reputation seemingly restored, followed the Pirog setback with credible wins over Peter Quillin and Caleb Truax, and was identified as a minor threat to "GGG." And despite enduring an early knockdown, the brilliant New Yorker demonstrated superb ring craft as he frustrated the Kazakh icon for large periods of their fight. Many were split regarding the victor at the final bell, but it was Golovkin who got the nod as a disappointed Jacobs shook his head believing he was the recipient of unfair scoring.
Canelo vs. Golovkin, September 2017
The biggest boxing event of 2017 if Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s exhibition with Connor McGregor can be excused, Saul Alvarez and Golovkin met in a highly-anticipated middleweight showdown where the victor would be the No. 1 fighter at 160 pounds. A heavily promoted fight that had grabbed the attention of mainstream sports fans long before they stepped into the ring, everything was in place for boxing to prosper on this night, but the talking point afterwards focused on a controversial decision when the bout was scored a draw.
For most observers, Golovkin was the dominant fighter for the majority of the fight, and despite a spirited last few rounds from the Mexican hero, it looked like his last-minute salvo had arrived too late thanks to Golovkin’s industry earlier in the fight. An inexplicable score of 118-110 in Alvarez’ favor from Adalaide Byrd leveled the card of Dave Moretti and with Don Trella, scoring the contest a draw. The huge PPV audience tuning in were left without a definitive conclusion.
Canelo vs. Golovkin 2, September 2018
The eagerly-awaited rematch between Alvarez and Golovkin was originally intended to take place in May 2018, but the Mexican’s positive test for clenbuterol, which he claimed came from meat, shelved the proposed spring date. Instead, a September date was sought and one year after failing to find a dominant ruler in the 160-pound division, boxing fans were given a second chance to watch two of the sport’s superstars settle their differences.
From the opening bell, it was obvious that Alvarez had made the most adjustments from their first meeting. Golovkin, aggrieved over the first result, continued to do what served him well in their inaugural meeting, but this time, Canelo had answers for almost every attack. At the end of 12 rounds, most were split over the outcome as both excellent fighters had moments of success. In the end, though, Alvarez was handed a majority verdict as a disgusted Golovkin bowed his head in further frustration.
Jacobs vs. Sergiy Derevyanchenko, October 2018
After conceding a portion of the world middleweight title to Gennady Golovkin in 2017, Jacobs was hungry to reclaim glory and he was handed the chance to do so against the excellent Ukrainian, Sergiy Derevyanchenko, in October last year. This fight occurred a month after the Alvarez-Golovkin rematch, so the winner was set to be well positioned for a fight with the Mexican, and Jacobs wasn't in any mood to squander the opportunity that he had craved for so long.
In front of a sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater, Jacobs put everything into this fight, as he resisted the multiple onslaughts coming his way from the determined Derevyanchenko. Question marks had long been placed on Jacobs’ toughness ever since losing to Dmitry Pirog in 2010, but against Golovkin, and here against another steely Eastern European, Jacobs demonstrated his grit in abundance as he collected the IBF middleweight crown before looking ahead to a fight with Canelo.
Canelo vs. Rocky Fielding, December 2018
The Winning Moment For @Canelo 💥#CaneloRocky pic.twitter.com/rpOhtmUBPX
— DAZN USA (@DAZN_USA) December 16, 2018
Not a fight that had any significance in the middleweight division, but Alvarez’ move to 168 pounds to take Rocky Fielding’s WBA regular title ensured that his monumental deal with streaming giant, DAZN, placed him under the same roof as lengthy rival Jacobs. A meeting between the pair had been long forecast and with Alvarez about to fight on the same platform as his divisional rival, it appeared that many obstacles had been overcome.
MORE: Join DAZN and watch Canelo vs. Jacobs on May 4
First up, Canelo had to dispose of Fielding, and he did so in a ruthless manner as he attacked the Englishman’s body from the opening bell. Alvarez’s accuracy was stunning throughout and with Fielding hitting the deck in every session, the action was called off after three one-sided rounds. Jacobs made his presence felt by being in the ring afterwards to sell a potential fight, and at this moment, it became apparent that the long-awaited clash between the pair was very close to happening.
And here we are.