The wait is finally over–unified Middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez (51-1-2, 35 KOs) and IBF titleholder Daniel Jacobs (35-2, 29 KOs) goes down this Saturday night May 4 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Canelo is looking to become the undisputed champ within the Middleweight division and Jacobs is more determined than ever to keep that from happening.
If Jacobs can execute the following keys to victory than he could do just that.
Speed
Gennady Golovkin was a good match up for Canelo Alvarez because he isn’t very quick. Canelo had the speed advantage in their fights and was also able to analyze and time GGG fairly quickly.
That won’t be the case in this fight–Daniel Jacobs has quick hands and tricky footwork. Though Canelo came out victorious in both fights he struggled with the speed of both Amir Khan and Erislandy Lara at times.
I think a lot of people are overlooking Jacobs’ speed. Jacobs will need to use his speed to land combinations and his fiddly footwork to avoid being walked down by Canelo.
Keep the Pace
Marilyn Paulino/RBRBoxing
Daniel Jacobs must keep the pace for twelve rounds. Canelo Alvarez is an extremely high pressure fighter who looks to go to war early in his fights.
Canelo’s grit and aggression early on often leads to knockouts but when he can’t score a KO he tends to get somewhat uncomfortable in the later rounds.
Daniel Jacobs will need to push deep in these rounds and not allow Canelo to regain any energy or momentum. These rounds will be crucial if this fight goes to decision.
Smart Aggression
It’s no secret that Daniel Jacobs doesn’t want to leave this in the hands of the judges but if this fight lasts 12 rounds then smart aggression is vital for victory.
We all know how hard it will be for Jacobs to land a decision victory in Las Vegas so trying to edge Canelo Alvarez out on the scorecards by being the more technical fighter is probably not the best bet for Jacobs.
Keeping the fight at a distance will also be critical in this fight but notable flurries within the last minutes of rounds could give him the nod on the scorecards.
Not to mention that it could also lead to a KO or TKO in the later rounds as Canelo is searching for his second wind. Jacobs is powerful and if he uses timed aggression then this fight could get very interesting.
Be Unpredictable
Canelo Alvarez has a very impressive resume– he has fought and beat a lot of greats. Daniel Jacobs may have advantages in speed, size, reach and even athleticism but with a world class fighter like Canelo those things will only get him so far. Jacobs will need to be unpredictable.
Canelo analyzes his opponents and adapts accordingly so Jacobs will need to feint, use his footwork to move in and out quickly, change levels, create angles and show Canelo different looks throughout the fight.
Daniel Jacobs will need to bring out all of the tricks Saturday night to keep Canelo guessing.
