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Former WBA and IBF middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs 37-3 (30) insists his career is far from over ahead of his clash with John Ryder 30-5 (17) in a WBA super middleweight title eliminator at Alexandra Palace in London, England this Saturday night.
The 35-year-old from Brooklyn, New York has won two fights – a fifth-round stoppage of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and a split decision victory over Gabriel Rosado – since his close unanimous decision loss to reigning undisputed 168-pound champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in May 2019.
A win over British southpaw Ryder, 33, will put Jacobs in line to face Mexican superstar Alvarez 57-1-2 (39) in a rematch.
“I’m a decorated fighter, one bad performance doesn’t define my career,” Jacobs said.
“This whole notion of my career is done if I don’t win, I get that the importance of this fight is to put us back into title contention. My career is far from over, I have a lot more that I want to continue and accomplish, I want to be able to have that hall of fame talk that me and my trainer have always talked about since we laced the first pair of gloves in my first professional fight.
“For me this is more motivation to know that people think this way and it’s so cruel and harsh to fighters with one loss, that’s more motivation for me to go inside that ring and to put it all on the line.
“I understand the importance of this fight and to put me back into position which I want to create history.”
Ryder, who lost a controversial decision to then-WBA champion Callum Smith in November 2019, has been looking for a big fight for some time to prove his world championship credentials.
“It’s a fight I’ve been craving for a long time, I know [Eddie Hearns’] ears have been on fire when the phone’s been ringing and [coach] Tony [Sims] has been on the case but listen, you’ve delivered,” Ryder said.
“A massive name in the UK and on my doorstep at Ally Pally, it doesn’t get much bigger than this for me.”
While Ryder will have the home ground advantage, Jacobs brings a wealth of experience at the top level to the ring.
“I’m looking forward to a good scrap,” Jacobs said earlier this week. “He’s a good fighter from what I’ve seen. I know he’s in his hometown so I’m expecting him to be pumped and excited about it.
“Also, I’ve heard from him before that this is an important fight for him to get towards title contention. I’m looking forward to seeing exactly everything that he has to bring.
“It has been one of my goals as a professional to fight in the UK, probably in London because I’ve been here before and I know how the magic works. I know how deep the crowd is into their boxing. I look forward to experiencing that. Good city, good town, good people.
“Everything is fabulous, I’m back to where I need to be mentally and I realize that now coming back with my old trainer Andre Rozier and Anthony Irons. Things are where they need to be. I was missing that good spirit that I once had in my career, and now it’s back and I’m looking forward to presenting it and giving the fans a good show.
“Every fight is must-win. Every time you go in the ring you don’t go into a fight looking at it like, ‘If I lose this one the next one will still be a good opportunity’. There’s always going to be a step back if you lost a fight in boxing. I’m grateful that I still have the opportunity to have these big fights. The biggest goal for me right now is to stay focused and keep the eye on the tiger.
“Granted we win this fight, which I’m sure we will, my next fight should be an opportunity to become a two-division world champion. I have the opportunity to do that and this guy is in the way. I have to make an example but also be myself. This camp I’ve been myself the entire time. I can’t ask for anything better.”
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