Joe Smith Jr. vs. Daniel Jacobs - Possibly Next

[Ruthless-RKO]

Joe Smith Jr. vs. Daniel Jacobs; Possibly Next

Promoter Eddie Hearn is doing all he can to get former middleweight champion, Daniel Jacobs, one of the biggest fights of his career.

According to reporter Mike Coppinger, Hearn revealed to him several weeks ago, that he fully intended on making a multi-million dollar offer to WBO light heavyweight champion, Joe Smith Jr. Staying true to his word, Hearn did, in fact, send an offer to the Long Island native. Seemingly happy with the terms of the agreement, Smith Jr. appears to be fully on board.

“Just got word from my team that there’s an offer to fight Daniel Jacobs,” said Smith Jr. on his Instagram account. “I love this fight, especially in New York.”

The possible showdown between Smith Jr. and Jacobs comes as somewhat of a surprise. After defeating Maxim Vlasov earlier this year for the vacant WBO title, promoter Bob Arum stated on numerous occasions that he would immediately schedule a unification showdown against WBC/IBF champion, Artur Beterbiev.

Yet, with an unexpected offer to face Jacobs, Smith Jr. appears more than willing to turn his attention towards him. More than anything, facing his fellow New York native allows Smith Jr. to take a trip down memory lane.

“Growing up fighting in the amateurs, there were two fighters, Danny and Will Rosinsky, that I loved going to see fight. Every time I got the opportunity to see them fight, they would destroy their opponent and I learned a lot about the sport of boxing from watching them. I never got the chance to face them in the amateurs due to them being a little older than I was. Unfortunately, when the time came that I was ready, they had become professionals.

In 2015, I got the opportunity to face Will at the Barclay’s Center and to me, it has been one of my biggest accomplishments as a fighter. I learned so much that night.”

As for Jacobs, a move to the light heavyweight division could see his run as a super middleweight short-lived. After losing his IBF middleweight title against Canelo Alvarez in May of 2019, Jacobs grew tired of squeezing his enormous frame down to the 160-pound limit and instead, moved up in weight. The trek eight pounds north has proved to be successful thus far as Jacobs has picked up back-to-back wins against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Gabriel Rosado. The latter, however, ended controversially as most of the boxing world believed Rosado should have been given the nod.

Regardless of just arriving in his new weight class roughly a year and a half ago, Jacobs appears ready to move up. By all accounts, Smith Jr. is set to welcome him with open arms. Not only would a win over the former 160-pound belt holder net him one of the biggest wins of his career, but more importantly, it will allow Smith Jr. to put to bed the one question that has been on his mind since he was a young child.

“I would love to face Danny to end that thought of what if we fought? In my mind as a kid.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

How would DJ get ranked at 175?

Also, as much as I would like to see Smith beat DJ,

Smith owes Vlasov a rematch.

[Enlightened-One]

The pre-Gabriel Rosado iteration of Daniel Jacobs outpoints Joe Smith Jr.

Did the 'Miracle Man' deliver a subpar performance during his most recent outing, because he was facing a journeyman?

I guess we'll find out if/when he faces Joe Smith Jr.

[margaret thatcher]

these dudes still be think joe's an easy mark

[Enlightened-One]

these dudes still be think joe's an easy mark

I don't think Joe's an easy mark.

I actually think Joe Smith Jr. gives Artur Beterbiev a really tough fight.

However, styles make fights and I feel he's tailor made for Jacobs (assuming Danny's subpar performance against Rosado was simply a one-off bad day at the office against a journeyman).

For the record, I don't rate Jacobs that highly either, but I think he'll get the better of Smith Jr.

[margaret thatcher]

danny gonna be feeling dat big joe workin man heat, will he be tough and strong enough

[Ruthless-RKO]

I have no intention of watching any more DJ fights.

Last one I watched live was vs. Canelo..

He just doesn't appeal to me..

[ironbeard]

I would rather see Jacobs v Callum Smith or David Benavides, but I will watch him v anyone.

Joe Smith is a dangerous night for anyone. I would favor him over Danny at this juncture.

[emallini]

I will pick Smith by stoppage

[DrDuke]

Smith will be too much for Jacobs. It's more interesting to see Smith in unifications, especially vs Beter.

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

Good fight

[victor-romeo]

I want Smith vs Beiterbiev..

[KiwiRider]

Jacobs has been on the slide for at least 3 years.
Gave him the benefit of the doubt, but it seems clear he isn't the same guy.
Last 3 years- 2 SD's that went his (A side) way, beat the corpse of Chavez Jr, and ok, lost to Canelo.
Moving up at 34 isn't a life preserver, if your on the slide your just gonna get hit harder by bigger guys.
I don't think there is anything Jacobs can throw at Smith Jr to deter him.
Can't see anything besides Smith Jr scoring a (possibly brutal) KO about mid fight.

[bobcatbox]

I want Smith vs Beiterbiev..

That’s what we were promised. This is hardly acceptable as an alternative. Ugh.

[JxhDel.]

DJ should fight in full capabilities against Joe, who does not lay for anybody.

[Jake Savage]

Daniel Jacobs has been in with the best (Canelo, GGG, Dmitry Pirog) and is a proven elite boxer. Smith Jr., is not as technically skilled and may be a bit slower than Jacobs, but Smith Jr. Is a very decent boxer in his own right and will carry a massive advantage in this fight in terms of height and reach, physicality, and punching power.

I expect this fight to go down similar to Cunningham VS Fury, where you have a faster little guy (Cunningham/Jacobs) do well early on, but by later rounds the bigger stronger man (Fury/Smith Jr) asserting his physicality and forcing a KO.

Smith Jr. is as physically strong and as rough as it gets. It's a hard ask, to ask a smaller man to beat him.

I like Smith Jr. On a KO.

[gilgamesh]

I think so too. Jacobs seems a little too careful to really attack at his best when facing top notch challengers. Smith on the other hand won't be shy in his attack, and I think that along with the physical advantages he'll enjoy will be the difference.

Jacobs has more skill and finesse, but Smith is more of a fighter.

[Cent0089]

I dont like this fight. Just bring on Smith - Beterbiev and match Jacobs with someone at 168, i bet John Ryder looking for a good fight

[Ruthless-RKO]

Joe Smith Jr. finalizing two-fight deal that includes first title defense, bout vs. Daniel Jacobs, sources say

Joe Smith Jr. is lining up not just his first title defense, but a major fight in early 2022.

The light heavyweight titleholder is in the process of finalizing a two-fight deal, sources told ESPN, that would see Smith fight mandatory challenger Umar Salamov in the fall, followed by a title tilt with Daniel Jacobs in early 2022.

Smith-Salamov will take place in October or November at Hulu Theater at MSG in New York, per sources, and will headline on ESPN/ESPN+.

Smith (27-3, 21 KOs) will be favored to turn back Salamov (26-1 19 KOs), and if he wins as expected, he'll meet Jacobs in a major New York fight at Madison Square Garden. That bout, which would see Jacobs jump up to 175 pounds, is being planned for January or February, also on ESPN/ESPN+. Smith hails from Long Island and Jacobs is from Brooklyn.

The two-fight deal isn't yet agreed to, sources said. Smith and Salamov are promoted by Top Rank (Joe DeGuardia co-promotes Smith) while Jacobs is a free agent. Top Rank chairman Bob Arum has repeatedly said he hoped to pit Smith against Artur Beterbiev in a three-belt unification.

Smith, ESPN's No. 3-rated fighter at 175 pounds, won the vacant title with a majority-decision victory over Maxim Vlasov in April, capping an impressive run that included a TKO win over former champion Eleider Alvarez last summer and a split-decision nod vs. Jesse Hart last January. All three fights were televised on ESPN/ESPN+.

That three-fight winning streak followed a three-bout stretch where Smith, 31, was on the losing end of two of them. He suffered a broken jaw vs. Sullivan Barrera in 2017 but lasted the 12-round distance. Two fights later, he was outpointed by Dmitry Bivol in a title fight.

His career-best win remains a knockout victory over Bernard Hopkins, the Hall of Famer's farewell fight. Smith was an underdog in that bout, despite Hopkins being 49, and the former construction worker ended the fight when he sent Hopkins through the ropes and onto the concrete with a series of punches.

A fight with Jacobs would rival his matchup with Hopkins in terms of marketability. Smith is an attraction in New York, and so, too, is Jacobs, a former middleweight champion who has competed against Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin.

Jacobs, 34, was once paralyzed while suffering with osteosarcoma, a life-threatening form of bone cancer. Following his miraculous recovery, Jacobs (37-3, 30 KOs) went on to stop Peter Quillin in the opening round of a middleweight title fight and later dropped a narrow decision to GGG.

Three fights later, Jacobs was champion once again after scoring a split-decision victory over Sergiy Derevyanchenko. Jacobs lost the title in his next fight, a points loss to Alvarez.

Following the defeat to Canelo, Jacobs moved up to 168 pounds, where he scored a stoppage of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. The 34-year-old eked by Gabe Rosado in November in a lackluster performance.

Since that win, Smith has fought once with another bout slated for the fall. Jacobs has no fight scheduled so it's possible he'll head straight into the title bout with Smith in his light heavyweight debut.

Jacobs, a natural 160-pounder, will be considerably smaller than Smith.

Salamov, 27, from Russia and now residing in Las Vegas, has competed in the United States only once and has never faced a fighter of note. He was set to fight Vlasov in November 2020, part of a four-man box-off for the vacant WBO title, before he was diagnosed with COVID. Salamov was symptomatic and faced a long recovery. Smith defeated Alvarez in the four-man box-off and went on to fight Vlasov for the vacant title with Salamov guaranteed a shot at the winner.

[bobcatbox]

This is really disappointing but makes me think we’re about to get Canelo - Beter instead of Canelo - Plant.

[Ruthless-RKO]

This is really disappointing but makes me think we’re about to get Canelo - Beter instead of Canelo - Plant.

Jacob’s being free agent as well.

I just can’t turn up for his fights tbh.

[margaret thatcher]

da F@CK happened to smith-beter being just about set

[bobcatbox]

This is really disappointing but makes me think we’re about to get Canelo - Beter instead of Canelo - Plant.

Jacob’s being free agent as well.

I just can’t turn up for his fights tbh.

That’s alright, joe smith is plenty to turn up for

[brilo33]

cant see it, joe smith ko here , i know danny is hard as they come but its a big jump up in weight to fight a naturaly big strong fast power puncher, jacobs is the better boxer but he wont be able to keep joe off also jr can take a shot, i also think jr is use to winning now were danny has lost big fights, joe has beat better

[Stevieaber]

Wouldn’t be surprised to see Danny take the lead, but feel he’ll struggle as the fight progresses. Can’t really see him keeping Joe off for all 12 rounds