A cancer survivor from Brooklyn and the national hero of Kazakhstan faced off last Saturday night in what turned out to be a classic middleweight fight at Madison Square Garden. Daniel Jacobs and Gennady Golovkin put on a memorable performance that was as entertaining as it was inspiring.
The storylines heading into the fight didn’t need any massaging, they were clear and compelling. The challenger, Daniel Jacobs, was lucky to be alive. In 2011, as Jacobs started to emerge as a serious contender for a world title, doctors discovered a tennis ball-sized, cancerous tumor wrapped around the fighter’s spine. The cancer nearly killed him, but through surgery, radiation blasts, prayers and determination he survived. Jacobs not only recovered from the disease, he returned to the ring. Jacobs’ doctors, fans and family worried about his decision, but his post-cancer career was impressive, 12-0 and all by knockout. The story angle sat on a tee for the writers: Jacobs beat cancer, but can he beat Gennady Golovkin?
Las Vegas’ answered the question with a resounding “no”, Jacobs entered the ring as an 8-1 underdog.
Though born on the other side of the world, Gennady Gennadyevich Golovkin (GGG) or “Triple G”, has drawn comparisons to Mike Tyson because of the fear he instills in opponents and the condition he has left the men willing to fight him. Golovkin rode a wave of destructive into the fight with Jacobs. He had knocked out his last 23 opponents. The last time GGG went the distance, George W. Bush was in office. His most recent opponent, Kell Brook, is still recovering from surgery to repair an eye socket shattered by GGG’s gloved fist. Gennady Golovkin entered the ring as the most feared fighter in boxing and arguably the most talented fighter in the sport.
The fight began with dozens of turquoise and yellow Kazakh flags flapping in the hands of fans. The bright colors and unique design served as visible evidence of a crowd clearly behind the Golovkin, who was born in Karagandy. During the early rounds, the two men circled each other, exchanging only inconsequential punches. GGG finally connected with a pair of right hands in the 4th. They were the first meaningful shots landed and their impact knocked Jacobs off his feet and onto the canvas. Stunned, the underdog rose surprising many. He finished the round and retreated to his corner dazed and reeling.
There was blood in the water as the 5th round started. The crowd anxiously stood, craning their necks to get the best view of what felt like an inevitable knockout.
“After the knockdown, I told him he'd have to kill me,” Jacobs said after the fight. “When I got up, I thought, 'This is all he has?'”
Jacobs survived the 5th, and in the 6th round the momentum changed. Down but not out, the confident grin returned to Jacobs face and he started to land punches of his own. He won the 6th and by the end of the 7th round, the crowd started to turn.
Jacobs resolution and persistence was infectious. Triple G fans weren’t folding up their flags and cheering for the challenger, but the “swing fans”, those who entered the arena without a predetermined rooting interest, shifted their support to Jacobs. They were inspired by the courage Jacobs showed in the ring.
The two men traded punches over the next rounds with Jacobs landing more shots than he absorbed. Golovkin won the fight by a close decision, but rational, clear-headed observers could have scored the fight for Jacobs.
Boxing is inherently violent and it will not become less so in the near future. The promise of a knockout sell tickets and for most, punishment needs to be inflicted by at least one fighter to make a satisfying fight. Just ask the fans who attended Mayweather/Pacquiao.
Diehard GGG fans may have left disappointed that his knockout streak came to an end, but this fight delivered because Daniel Jacobs’ resilience was on display. The indelible images left in the memories of the fans in attendance were not of a particular punch from either fighter, but of Jacobs waving his gloves in victory after he won the 7th. They will remember him flexing his muscles after landing a punch in the 11th and the way the crowd backed the Brooklyn native who beat cancer. Daniel Jacobs may have lost the fight, but he won the night. He inspired, and through his performance, he made courage visible. But this is something he has done before.