WHO WINS? Billy Joe Saunders vs. Daniel Jacobs

[mickey1975]

Bjs got paid for Lemieux.

[maverick23]

Bjs got paid for Lemieux.

And a large amount of that cash would have come from HBO who are also backing Jacobs.

Lemieux does more ticket sales than Jacobs but I would thought they could do 10-12k tickets for Jacobs v BJS in Brooklyn.

Unfortunately for BJS there aren’t too many other big fights out there at middleweight that would pay well outside of Canelo/Golovkin. Charlo and Andrade would both be very tough fights but aren’t big names currently.

[dirk2686]

Saunders is possibly the worst selling champion on the planet.

This. He had to defend his belt in his opponents back yard. Lemieux is bigger in Montreal more than BJS is big in the UK.

and BJS is bigger in the UK than Jacobs is in the US...

Saunders without Eubank in the other corner does no business in the UK. The fight against Murray has done fewer tickets than Okolie at the same venue and he was reduced to defending his world title literally in a leisure centre.

[Grilling Machine]

Jacobs is better-tested (Pirog and Golovkin) and happy to work for 12 rounds, so I'd still pick him.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Saunders without Eubank in the other corner does no business in the UK. The fight against Murray has done fewer tickets than Okolie at the same venue and he was reduced to defending his world title literally in a leisure centre.

I believe Okolie vs. Chamberlain sold around 8,000 tickets.

I doubt they'll have the top tier open for BJS.

[Terminator666]

Saunders would school him as long as he was in shape like last time

[jamamb]

if saunders schools jacobs (way faster, longer, better skilled then lemieux) then who doesnt he school at mw?

[Terminator666]

Probably nobody if he prepares right

[samwbr]

Probably nobody if he prepares right

Golovkin would KO him.

[mickey1975]

He’s never been dropped... Jacobs got iced in five by a novice. Canelo laughed at ggg. what makes you so certain bjs can’t take a punch From him?

[jamamb]

Jacobs got iced in 1 by a novice?

and i mean bjs is good no doubt, but he beats a slow ultra crude stubby armed brawler and now hes schooling every elite mw? funny how that guy also made ggg look like some slick boxer

although i wouldnt be surprised if bjs could beat ggg. that might be a good match for him with ggg being slower. but i doubt hes gonna box the head off the top guys.

[fizzjambo]

Probably nobody if he prepares right

Golovkin would KO him.

2/3 years ago I’d have agreed, but I reckon Saunders can out box him now.
Saunders is very, very slick, and is so at an elite level in my opinion. Golovkin has excellent feet and is a master at cutting down the ring. That’s a nightmare for a runner but a fit Saunders isn’t a runner, he’s very comfortable boxing in range and making guys miss. He’s a proper slippery bugger.
If he’s fit and on it there isn’t a middleweight in the world he wouldn’t stand a very decent chance of beating. Personally I think Andrade is the worst possible match up for him out there just now.
If I was in his shoes then I’d be looking at what kind of money could be achieved fighting Murata in Japan. Murata’s a rugged, well schooled lad but Saunders would absolutely box rings around him

[Ruthless-RKO]

I like how this poll had turned around since yesterday..

[dr_devious]

He’s never been dropped... Jacobs got iced in five by a novice. Canelo laughed at ggg. what makes you so certain bjs can’t take a punch From him?

Pirog wasn't a novice

[dirk2686]

There's a touch of revisionism here about Saunders based on one fight. The Lemieux win was obviously excellent but he didn't look that great against Monroe and that fight in the leisure centre was dire. Although he beat Eubank Groves showed how you school him. BJ scraped it.

[Nightmare Roy]

There's a touch of revisionism here about Saunders based on one fight. The Lemieux win was obviously excellent but he didn't look that great against Monroe and that fight in the leisure centre was dire. Although he beat Eubank Groves showed how you school him. BJ scraped it.

He was unfit when he fought Jnr, the BJS that fought last time out wouldn't drop a round IMO.

[Grilling Machine]

He’s never been dropped... Jacobs got iced in five by a novice. Canelo laughed at ggg. what makes you so certain bjs can’t take a punch From him?

Pirog wasn't a novice

And in any case, Pirog was absolute class. No shame in that loss.

[dirk2686]

There's a touch of revisionism here about Saunders based on one fight. The Lemieux win was obviously excellent but he didn't look that great against Monroe and that fight in the leisure centre was dire. Although he beat Eubank Groves showed how you school him. BJ scraped it.

He was unfit when he fought Jnr, the BJS that fought last time out wouldn't drop a round IMO.

Ok then, but all you end up with when you go down this route is excuses. Didn't look great agains Monroe - wasn't motivated. Looked poor against Akavov - training issues. Scraped a decision against Lee and Eubank - was inactive/injured. Schools Lemieux - evidence that he beats Golovkin.

I'm not sure I buy that.

[Terminator666]

Good point- none of us can be sure - be interesting to find out but shame it’s not likely to happen

[Nightmare Roy]

There's a touch of revisionism here about Saunders based on one fight. The Lemieux win was obviously excellent but he didn't look that great against Monroe and that fight in the leisure centre was dire. Although he beat Eubank Groves showed how you school him. BJ scraped it.

He was unfit when he fought Jnr, the BJS that fought last time out wouldn't drop a round IMO.

Ok then, but all you end up with when you go down this route is excuses. Didn't look great agains Monroe - wasn't motivated. Looked poor against Akavov - training issues. Scraped a decision against Lee and Eubank - was inactive/injured. Schools Lemieux - evidence that he beats Golovkin.

I'm not sure I buy that.

I'm not sure he beats GGG but I'd give him a fair chance now as since the Brook fight GGG has at least looked human.

[jamamb]

what would jacobs. charlo. ggg. canelo. etc do vs lem? well we already saw ggg suddenly become a masterful cant be touched boxer. compare that to how limited ggg appeared at times vs jacobs. a world of difference.

bjs can beat top guys i beleve but lets not act as though schooling lem means he schools everyone. hes schooled lem ...gary o sully...and then no one else of note. so many excuses go around for the other fghts.

someone such as jacobs...even though hardly perfect... has way more speed and mobility and boxing ability then lem does. way more to land and not be hit so easily. lems always gonna appear to be schooled when the power doesnt do it...because he has almost nothng else.

[Datsue]

...well we already saw ggg suddenly become a masterful cant be touched boxer. compare that to how limited ggg appeared at times vs jacobs. a world of difference.

bjs can beat top guys i beleve but lets not act as though schooling lem means he schools everyone....

lems always gonna appear to be schooled when the power doesnt do it...because he has almost nothng else.

All very good points.

To play the forum's favourite "He's under-rated"/"Oh no he's not, he's over-rated!" game, I think most undervalued Saunders before the Lemieux fight & are rather overvaluing him now, based off that one win.

The truth I think lies somewhere between the two positions. As you said, he's a slippery handful for anyone in the world. It doesn't immediately follow that he'd "school" the top 3 (obviously, GGG, Jacobs & Clenbutanelo).

[keithmoonhangover]

Jacobs is too slick for BJS. Jacobs with a comfortable UD.

This.

[keithmoonhangover]

Easy win for Bill, but totally unworkable as Jacobs can’t sell.

Have you ever picked someone to beat a traveler? You'd pick Fury to beat Godzilla and fvcking King Kong in the same night.

[jamesmcdonnell]

USA is huge, more people to support their fighters.
yet Jacobs isn't even big in Brooklyn. Ticket sales show that...

That's the thing though. USA is huge, there is probably a whole state in the US somewhere that hasn't even heard of Jacobs maybe more. It's too big to travel around and costly. The way I see it, every state is like it's own country there. Wilder won the WBC belt in Vegas, defended it in his homestate where he would sell the most, and only fought at the Barclays when he's fighting a decent/good opponent.

It's the same for a lot of fighters in the US. Spence is fighting in Dallas next.

Boxing is not what it used to be in the States.

correct. very few US fighters have a big national following.