Derevyanchenko vs Jacobs Deal Close

Derevyanchenko vs Jacobs Deal Close:

By Gary Kittilsen

The middleweight division is one of the deepest in the sport and it’s now beginning to really heat up. September 15th sees the big rematch between WBA/WBC middleweight champ Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvares, their first fight in September of 2017 ended in a controversial draw and getting the two back in the ring for a rematch has been quite a task. The fight was originally set for May 5th, that fight was canceled when Alvarez failed a drug test, testing positive for clenbuterol and was handed a six-month suspension. The fight hit another snag when the two parties couldn’t agree over money, but that has all be taken care off and the rematch is official for September 15th at the T-Mobile arena in Las Vegas.

In more exciting middleweight news, the IBF which stripped Golovkin of their belt after he failed to fight mandatory challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko within 90 days of his last fight which he had agreed to do, have announced that Derevyanchenko will fight “Miracle Man” Daniel Jacobs for the now vacant belt subject to issues around purse bids.

Jacobs was narrowly defeated by Golovkin in 2017, in what was considered a highly controversial decision. Jacobs has strung together two consecutive wins after the questionable loss outpointing both Luis Arias and Maciej Sulecki. Sergiy Derevyanchenko sports an undefeated record of 12-0 (10) but his best wins are over Tureano Johnson and Sam Soliman, fighters not considered to be anywhere near the level of the Miracle Man.

Currently promoters and HBO are looking at October 28th at Madison Square Garden in New York. Jacobs is a Brooklyn native and Derevyanchenko, although a native of Ukraine, now lives and trains in Brooklyn as well. Interestingly enough both middleweights share the same trainer, Andre Rozier. The two know each other very well, having not only trained out of the same gym for the past few years, the two have also sparred each other on countless occasions. It is rumored that Rozier will stay in the corner of Jacobs, meaning that Derevyanchenko will have to find a new trainer. Rozier has been with Jacobs going back to the amateur ranks and it seems unlikely that the two will split.