Daniel Jacobs was just talking about how Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. could be a wild card at times, not knowing what to expect from the son of the boxing legend.
“Given Chavez’s history, we don’t know exactly which Chavez Jr. is going to show up,” Jacobs told DAZN News on Wednesday. “Sometimes he’s fairly decent, sometimes he doesn’t show up at all.”
Or sometimes he shows up overweight before the fight even begins. His reoccurring problem with making weight — that has self-sabotaged the 33-year-old’s career — struck again Thursday, when Chavez tipped the scales at 172.7 pounds.
That’s 4.7 pounds above the 168-pound super middleweight limit, but the Jacobs-Chavez fight will still take place as planned Friday night because their camps agreed to a 173-pound catchweight before the official weigh-in Thursday. They’ll fight at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix and live on DAZN on Friday night. Chavez has to surrender $1 million of his near $3 million purse to Jacobs for this fight to happen, as reported by ESPN.
Jacobs (35-3, 29 KOs) has always been the consummate professional, but perhaps there’s a side of “The Miracle Man” that can empathize with Chavez’s plight.
After all, following his unanimous decision loss to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in May, part of the reason why Jacobs announced that he’s moving up from middleweight to super middleweight was his continued struggle making 160 pounds.
“I’ve stated previously that it’s been really hard for me to make middleweight,” Jacobs said. “I can make it, but sometimes when I make middleweight, I leave a lot in the gym. You don’t really get the chance to see my best self.
“I think moving up to 168, I’ll be able to carry over those skills,” he continued. “I think it will follow through. I think that was the sole reason that I’m moving up … so I could be more comfortable.”
Regardless of the shape Chavez hits the ring in Friday night, Jacobs plans to put his new division on full notice of his own presence and use this bout as a springboard to a splashy New Year.
“It’s actually something that we’ve been calculating, so it could be just that — 2020 an ideal year for us,” said Jacobs, 32. “It’s a new chapter for us and it symbolizes so much with us moving to 168. I’m grateful that the super middleweight division has such great competition. It’s perfect for me because I’ll be able to be my best self.”
Currently, Billy Joe Saunders (WBO), Caleb Plant (IBF), Callum Smith (WBA “Super”), and David Benavidez (WBC) reign as super middleweight champions, with Canelo holding onto the WBA “Regular” title as well.
If Jacobs is successful battering Chavez on Friday night, he’ll certainly look to face one of the champions in 2020. Saunders and Smith fight on the same DAZN platform as Jacobs, signaling a bout with either could be the easier deal to get done in comparison to Plant and Benavidez, who fight under the PBC banner.
When DAZN News told Jacobs about Jermall Charlo saying he’d be willing to move up in weight to fight him, it was music to the former two-time middleweight champion’s ears.
“That’s the first time he mentioned my name in a very long time,” Jacobs said. “I thought he was still hiding under a rock. If he’s moving up to 168, that would be a fight that I’d love to make because he’s definitely someone who has been on my radar for a very, very, very long time, and I think it’s the perfect fight because it has been brewing for some years now.”
The two had a heated exchange backstage last year.
“If he steps up, best believe,” Jacobs said, “I’ll be the first person that greets him at the door.”
While it remains to be seen how quickly any of the aforementioned options can materialize, Jacobs already is a $1 million richer thanks to Chavez’s latest mistake on the scales.
And even before the weigh-in, Jacobs said that dealing with Chavez’s weight would help him quickly adjust to fighting the bigger boxers that roam 168.
“I don’t think Chavez poses a serious threat when it comes to skill, but I think that he’s a big guy,” Jacobs shared. That extra weight that he’ll put on me will allow me to get comfortable as I face more competition. I’ve always believed in my skill set, I’ve always believed in my abilities. It’s really just getting acclimated (to 168 pounds).”
Jacobs’ new chapter also includes a new trainer, as he parted ways with longtime trainer Andre Rozier. The Chavez fight will mark Jacobs’ first bout under the guidance of trainer Fareed Samad, who had success training Tony Harrison to an upset win over Jermell Charlo for the WBC junior middleweight title last December.
Both Jacobs and Chavez count Canelo as a common opponent. This bout against Jacobs marks Chavez’s second fight since losing a unanimous decision to Canelo in May of 2017, as he recorded a first-round KO of Evert Bravo in August.
While Chavez tries to regain his bearings, Jacobs is looking to set the table for a big New Year.
“I definitely see 2020, 2021 and 2022 being the peak years because in boxing, you don’t have too many years in your prime,” he admitted.
“But for me, I’m still enjoying the ride, still enjoying the process,” he continued. “This new chapter for me is going to be a good one.”