Three Punch Combo: Scenarios for Daniel Jacobs and More

THREE PUNCH COMBO — A lot of speculation this past week has been on the future of Canelo Alvarez (52-1-2, 35 KO’s) following his big middleweight title unification win against Daniel Jacobs (35-3, 29 KO’s). But what about the future of Jacobs? First, it is clear that a move to 168 seems likely. With that said, here is a look at three possible options for Jacobs’ eventual return to the ring.

Rocky Fielding (27-2, 15 KO’s)

Fielding, who is also coming off a loss to Canelo, is probably the ideal foe for Jacobs to test the waters at 168. Not only does he have a name but he’s a tough gritty competitor with an aggressive style that is well suited for Jacobs plus he’s somewhat limited inside the ring and he doesn’t carry a big punch. Jacobs won’t have to search to find him and won’t have to fear Fielding’s power. Assuming Canelo does fight again in September, a fight between Jacobs and Fielding may be the ideal co-feature.

John Ryder (28-4, 16 KO’s)

Ryder won a 168-pound belt on the undercard of Canelo-Jacobs with an impressive third round TKO of the previously unbeaten Bilal Akkawy. That seemed to set up a fight between him and another 168-pound belt holder in Callum Smith. But what if Smith gets the call to face Canelo in September? Well a natural fall back option for Ryder would be a fight with Jacobs.

Assuming this scenario, Jacobs-Ryder would also be an ideal co-feature. Ryder is a southpaw but aggressive in nature and he would bring the fight to Jacobs. Much like Fielding, his style would be ideal for Jacobs. As an added plus, if Jacobs were to win he would immediately pick up a 168-pound belt and thus become a little more marketable as he seeks bigger opportunities down the road.

David Lemieux (40-4, 34 KO’s)

Lemieux’s career is clearly in flux at the moment and he needs a signature win now more than ever. He pulled out of his last two fights for various reasons and, like Jacobs, is seemingly headed north to 168 after a long career at middleweight. And as such, he may be willing to roll the dice with a high risk showdown with Jacobs.

As for Jacobs, if he wants a bigger name in his return then Lemieux is the most logical option. He’s a much riskier opponent then Fielding or Ryder, but Jacobs would still be favored and a win over Lemieux would vault him quickly up the rankings in the 168-pound division.

Under The Radar Fight

Saturday brings us another big day of boxing with the return of the World Boxing Super Series as well as the big heavyweight championship fight on Showtime between Deontay Wilder (40-0-1, 39 KO’s) and Dominic Breazeale (20-1, 18 KO’s). As part of that Showtime televised card, there is an intriguing 140-pound fight between Juan Heraldez (16-0, 10 KO’s) and Argenis Mendez (25-5-2, 12 KO’s) that has fallen almost entirely under the radar.

Heraldez, who turned pro in 2009, needs to make a move in his career. To say his career has moved along slowly would be an understatement. That stated, he has always shown promise and is coming off a career best win in February against Eddie Ramirez. In facing Mendez, Heraldez, 28, is taking another step up in competition.

Mendez, 32, has been a pro since 2006 and is a former 130-pound world champion. After losing consecutive fights in 2016 to Robert Easter Jr. and Luke Campbell, Mendez’s career seemed to be tilting downward. But he bounced back with two solid wins and is coming off a split draw in March with 140-pound contender Anthony Peterson. In that fight, Mendez seemed to seize control in the second half of the bout and hopes to keep that momentum going when he faces Heraldez.

Heraldez-Mendez is an evenly matched fight on paper featuring a nice contrast of styles. Heraldez will certainly be the aggressor and press the fight behind his jab looking to land power shots. Mendez is a boxer-puncher who looks to counter. And he will have plenty of opportunities to counter against the aggressive Heraldez. I expect we see an entertaining fight in what could be the most competitive fight of the entire weekend.

I Will Miss My Friend

Two years ago on the Saturday of Boxing Hall of Fame weekend in Canastota, NY, my wife and I headed to the nearby Dunkin’ Donuts. The festivities on the Hall of Fame grounds had just concluded for the day and we wanted to give the crowd a little time to filter out before heading out to dinner.

I was seated facing the door when someone I recognized entering the building. However, I couldn’t immediately put a name to the face. The person who entered must have seen me staring as he walked toward me and took a seat right next to my wife and I and immediately struck up a conversation with me. It was when I heard his voice that I realized this was Bert Cooper.

Bert was willing to share any and all experiences in his life with me that day. We talked in length about his boxing career. The Holyfield fight of course came up and he expressed deep regret for not being better prepared for that fight despite getting it on such short notice. Bert also shared with me his battles with drugs and alcohol. He was very detailed when talking about this to the point where my wife was a bit taken aback.

After talking for nearly an hour (and making Bert a little late for his next engagement), we parted our separate ways. Before we did, I told Bert he was a personal favorite of mine and I always looked forward to watching him fight. And that he also had given me an unforgettable memory. He gave me a great big smile and shook my hand saying he really enjoyed hanging out with me.

I figured I’d never see him again, but as fate would have it I bumped into Bert again last year, once again during Hall of Fame weekend. This time, I was at the nearby hotel where several boxers had come out to sign autographs and interact with fans. Much to my amazement, Bert remembered me from the previous year. He greeted me with that great big smile of his and insisted on signing a photo. He whispered to me that he usually charges for these but not for his friends.

We got to talking again and literally picked up our conversation right where it ended the previous year. Later on that day, my wife and I joined Bert and the person who brought him to Canastota, Sam, for lunch at a nearby restaurant. Much like the prior year, Bert talked in depth with me about specific fights from his career and once again gave this boxing fan a memory that will be forever cherished.

At lunch, Bert told us that nowadays he was only eating healthy foods. And, of course, after lunch Bert wanted to head for ice cream. So we headed to a small local ice cream stand.

With it being a fairly hot day, the ice cream shop was well populated. Bert greeted everyone there proudly handing out his boxing card to anyone who would take it. And of course, gleefully boasting to anyone who would listen how he nearly defeated Holyfield to win the heavyweight title. He captured the crowd that afternoon at the ice cream shop.

I was very much looking forward to seeing Bert Cooper again in Canastota next month. RIP my friend, you will be missed.

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