DANIEL JACOBS INTERNATIONAL MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL TRANSCRIPT
GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN VS. DANIEL JACOBS WORLD MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 18, 2017 MADISON SQUARE GARDEN PRESENTED LIVE BY HBO PAY-PER-VIEW®
BERNIE BAHRMASEL/K2 PROMOTIONS: Welcome to the media and thanks very much for joining us on this International Media Conference Call promoting the highly anticipated World Middleweight Championship between Unified Middleweight Champion GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN (36-0, 33 KO’s), and WBA Middleweight Champion and Mandatory Challenger DANIEL “The Miracle Man” JACOBS, (32-1, 29 KO’s), set for Saturday, March 18 from The Mecca of Boxing, Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The Championship Event presented by K2 Promotions will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View starting at 9pm ET, 6pm PT.
The HBO Sports special “24/7 Golovkin/Jacobs” will premiere Saturday, Mar. 4 at 10:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The special will provide all-new content including portraits of both fighters’ path to this significant showdown. The show will also be available on HBO ON DEMAND®, HBO GO® and HBO NOW and affiliate portals.
Joining us on the call today from their training camp in Oakland, California will be Daniel Jacobs, his longtime trainer ANDRE ROZIER and his KEITH CONNOLLY, Daniel’s longtime manager.
KEITH CONNOLLY: I would like to welcome everybody today and I’m happy to see that everyone is taking great interest in the fight. The bottom line is that this is what boxing fans want – they are looking for two of the top guys in the division to fight each other. It’s rare in boxing that guys will do that in their prime and Danny and Gennady have both stepped up to the challenge. I think it’s the biggest fight of 2017 and Danny has done everything that everyone has asked of him in training camp and I know he is going to come out victorious.
ANDRE ROZIER: Good afternoon everyone. We have been working really hard and Danny has been an excellent Class A student in preparing for this much anticipated confrontation. We will be victorious. We will be sharp as razor blades. I am looking forward to Danny shining like a bright light that night.
DANIEL JACOBS: I am feeling a lot of anxiety at this point. Getting close to the fight – nerves are flaring up and I want to be able to go and tackle greatness. I want to go into Madison Square Garden and see my family and see my friends and see everybody there for me, and I’m really just waiting for that moment. I am ready for my fans to be in my corner for the opening round and everyone standing up and cheering and when that first bell rings – just going at it. It’s a big opportunity for me and I’m looking forward to it.
Are you going to be ‘that guy’ that is going to be able to give Gennady the biggest test of his career? And why?
DANIEL JACOBS: That’s the plan. We have 100% belief in our ability and the plan is to go in there and do whatever it takes to win. I know what I am capable of. I know what I’m good at. And it’s all about putting it in sync on fight night.
Considering what you have been through in your life, it seems like a victory over Gennady would be a cherry on top. What would a victory over Gennady mean to you?
DANIEL JACOBS: Simply put, it will be icing on the cake. It would be the pinnacle of this crazy life and career that I have – the ups and downs – going through all the things that I’ve been through. It would make everything sweet. It has been my goal to become undisputed champion and to be considered the best champion so this would definitely represent that.
Everybody talks about Gennady’s knockout power and he has knocked out 23 in a row. But after your only loss you have won all 12 of your fights in a row by knockout – 29 knockouts in 32 fights. Who do you think brings more firepower to the fight?
DANIEL JACOBS: Most people would say he has a lot more power but just because he has A+ or A- power and I have B+ or B- power doesn’t mean both guys can’t go down or both guys can’t get hurt. This is boxing and it’s all about putting your punches together perfectly. I have a different type of power. I have athletic power that people can’t see. That sharpness – the big bang that hits you. It’s a different type of power. If you ask whose is better – I like mine better obviously. It’s just a matter of going in there and putting it together because you can have all the power but can’t do anything with it.
Do you think it’s inevitable that this fight ends in a knockout?
DANIEL JACOBS: No, I don’t see that that is the only route. You have to understand that I am a boxer and we both come from boxing backgrounds. We do have a lot of knockouts as professionals. If adjustments need to be made it could go the distance. I’m not saying that my plan is to go in there and knock somebody out. This is boxing – you can’t really say what is going to happen because anything can happen in that square ring.
Your one loss was by knockout and you were knocked down against Mora. Do you think that because Golvokin has never been stopped that many think he will come out on top because of that?
DANIEL JACOBS: Yes, I can see how people would say that. I can see the controversy. I can see how people would say that given that fact that he’s never been down or never been hurt from what we’ve seen. It would be easy to say “if anyone would go Jacobs would go.” I could see how people would say that. But like I say this is a sport where you have to continuously prove yourself. So no matter what the past says, no matter what people say, it’s really up to me to go in there and do the job.
Do you think of your 12 in a row knockout streak or your one loss and what was the reason for that loss? What were the circumstances?
DANIEL JACOBS: If you go back to the fight you can see me clearly begging to the referee to get back when I got up. Yes I was hurt but not to the point where I would consider myself out. It was the first time I had ever seen a world championship fight where the referee pushes the fighter down and says ‘no you can’t get back up. You can’t continue,’ at the count of what – 4 or 5? I mean this is a world championship fight. I can argue that, which I get tired of, I can argue that until your ears pop off but at the end of the day I have the skills, I have matured, I have grown, and that’s what I’m really looking forward to. We can talk about specifics and we can talk about this or talk about that but at the end of the day it’s all about March 18. We don’t know what’s going to happen on March 18. I am highly, 100% confident in my ability in what I can do and causing what people will consider an upset.
Andre, what do you see, when you look at the videos, and what is your assessment of Gennady’s punching power?
ANDRE ROZIER: He has good punching power. I will not say that he has hellacious punching power. He doesn’t hit people with one shot then they go away. Most of his knockouts come through attrition where he constantly banging at you and wearing you down. He’s had a couple but Danny has had more first round knockouts than he has and Danny has hit a lot more people with one or two clean shots than Gennady has. If you look at Gennady’s last fight against Kell Brook, Kell was tripped up a bit in the first round but never went down but the attrition effort with Golovkin constantly applying pressure and breaking him down. A lot of people get caught up in the issue ‘OK the bottom line is did he win by knockout?’ Yes he did, but we knock people out and that’s going to be one of the amazing differences, when people see and they keep mentioning it constantly that Danny went down. Yes Danny went down but Danny is a lot smarter. In his fight against Kid Chocolate, he showed athleticism and incredible aggression, a little more than I wanted, he was a monster, and that’s what Danny can do. Danny can go from being up on his toes, flash and jab and quick combinations or he may come at you like a wild beast – bang and dig and scruff you out. He has many, many options. Gennady can punch but Danny can punch too. Gennady is rough and Danny can be rough too. Danny’s hands are a lot faster than his opponent. You are going to see some of the differences play out in this fight.
Has the talk of Golovkin fighting Canelo motivated you in camp?
DANIEL JACOBS: We don’t really talk about it. We maybe laugh about it but for anyone to make plans past this fight whether it is his team or whether it is him himself, honestly I just feel like his focus should be 100% on me. It doesn’t really add so much motivation but it just adds to it. I am self motivated and this fight is motivating in itself in what I can accomplish in fulfilling my dreams – that’s good enough for me but I think whether it is speculation or not, I just think it is foolish for one to do things like that – taking me for granted and I don’t think they want to get into that – planning before the fight happens.
He says he is not looking past you but do you believe that?
DANIEL JACOBS: I would say so but I haven’t been into the media too much lately – I have been focused on my training so I can’t really say I just think that, like I said before if I was to make a comment about it, it would be a foolish thing for anyone to do if it were against any fighter. The fighter that I am I am focused on the task at hand and the things that I have to do. I haven’t left any stones unturned and I believe it’s going to show up and you are going to see the best Danny Jacobs on March 18.
How has Chris Algieri helped?
DANIEL JACOBS: Having Chris around is really cool. There are many reasons but Chris understands too what it is to be at this level and kind of being a fighter and eating healthy and preparing meals and making sure that I am in the best mind frame and physical condition as well. The nutrition he has for me keeps me in the best possible condition. It takes a load off my mind that come fight night after the weigh-in, I’ll make weight easy, well not easy, but easier. I have been a middleweight my whole career and I will be fully 100% come fight night, he has been a really good addition to the team and I’m glad he is out here – I have known him for years. I think it is the best decision as far as adding a new person to the team.
Can you tell us about your experience being away from home living in the Bar Area?
DANIEL JACOBS: The Bay Area is awesome despite a little bit of rain. The area is amazing and the weather is nice, the air is fresh. I go out for a run and see all the mountains and see all the nature – it just adds to a good mental state. I love oysters too – they have really good oysters out here. Being out here with these top contenders and champions and the interest in having them know that they want me to win this fight and hoping I do good. I can genuinely feel that everybody is supporting me. I’ve had a great camp out here in the Bay Area and I look forward to doing it again.
Touching back on your loss to Pirog, didn’t you have a rough week?
DANIEL JACOBS: Yes, it was a trying time for me. My grandmother was like my mom growing up – she was that one. Fighting at that time was the toughest test of my career – fighting for a world championship and seeing my grandmother pass away. Having to fly out to the fight the next day then three days later. I just wasn’t really mature enough to take that on and kind of grieve the way a normal person is supposed to. It was a tough time. A lot of people can’t realize that I couldn’t be in a mental state – I couldn’t be Daniel Jacobs and be sharp. I was a young man – I was a kid you know? I had to fly back – straight from the fight I went to the airport to fly back to New York City so I could see my grandmother be laid to rest. It was a tough time but it definitely made me better – mentally it made me stronger and I’ve seen the growth and I’ve learned from it. I’m not saying I’m glad those things happened, but when tremendous things happen, it only makes you stronger and know who you really are when your back is against the wall.
There seems to be a lot of talk about your chin…
DANIEL JACOBS: For some reason I have given the people the false impression that I can’t take a punch. I have taken great shots. I have sparred with light heavyweights – I have sparred with all kinds of guys. I haven’t take shots, but have taken some good shots from some really strong guys but I know what’s inside me. With the Sergio Mora fight it was a mistake really. I was trying to swing widely at the time I guess. I had him hurt and I got caught at the perfect time. It was an off-balance type of shot. This illusion has been created to the public that Daniel Jacobs can’t take a shot, which is fine by me. If anyone wants to come test that inside the square ring that’s their job to do it. I am going to be fully prepared for a guy that you know can punch – I have to be aware of those things and I am going to have my defense tight. I am not going to come in carelessly and do things that I have probably done in the past. But that’s what I’m looking forward to. I don’t want to take a shot but if I do I will be able to take it more than previous fights.
Will you be comfortable boxing or will you feel a need to go in and fight?
DANIEL JACOBS: I think whatever it takes to win is what we are going to do. Floyd Mayweather always said that ‘great champions adjust’ and if we need to adjust at the moment I believe my team and I will talk in between rounds and try to make adjustments. I think I have the ability to do everything – go forwards, go backwards, and go sideways – put my punches together, put my jabs together and sit on my feet. I am equipped with a lot of different things and like I said before, just make sure everything is in sync on fight night.
ANDRE ROZIER: We prepare for a bunch of scenarios and it’s funny that you should mention the Andre Ward-Kovalev fight. Andre came in hot and he got knocked down, then he went back to boxing. Danny is a great boxer but Danny has an added secret weapon of that punching power. A lot of his knockouts come from punches that the guys just don’t see. We are going to do what we have to do to control the action. We are going to be controlling the action in the ring and utilizing physical attributes to win this fight any way it comes out. But as smart fighters and smart boxers do – use his mental capacity to control his physical attributes to win this fight.
You and Golovkin are probably the two most popular boxers in NYC – what will it do for you to win this fight in the Mecca of Boxing?
DANIEL JACOBS: I would just know I’m the best. I have always looked up to Derek Jeter. Jeter was the man in New York City. He was a great sportsman and athlete and everything he did was just gold. I’ve always thought that one day I am going to The King of New York. Walk around and people scream my name and I am going to be just like Derek Jeter. This will be my opportunity to be That Guy not only in New York City but in the world. I have an amazing story – a lot of people can relate to my story – my trials and tribulations and I’m just looking forward to being the best athlete that I can be and being a voice for the people and be a good role model – that is really my agenda. I don’t want to be in this game for too long but at the end of the day I just want to accomplish my goals and be the best person that I can be.
How does it make you feel having kids look up to you?
DANIEL JACOBS: It’s an amazing feeling. My grandmother always told me ‘make sure you represent yourself when you go out into the streets for not only you but for your family.’ That always kind of stuck in the back of my head. And I am a dad and when it’s all said and done my son can say ‘my dad was a great role model and I can follow after who he was and all the things that he instilled in me. This is really what I am doing this for, that I can be the best possible role model. It trickles down to a lot of kids or teams or even adults – just appreciate the way that I conduct myself, and the person that I represent and things of that nature. Even my foundation which a lot of people have shown interest in – seeing what I do with the kids with cancer, kids with obesity – it’s really an amazing feeling to be able to give back. It’s the greatest feeling that you can have.
Did you watch the Kell Brook fight? Brook was ahead during the fight – was there anything you could take away from it?
DANIEL JACOBS: That fight gave us a lot of things that we could go back and review for March 18 but there are a lot of other fights that I watch too and I study and like I said before we study his good habits and his bad habits so we can capitalize off our strengths. I’m excited because I really feel like this is the right time, to not expose, but to go in there and do what we know we can do – to go in there and be the best and beat the best. We are extremely excited to have this opportunity on March 18. It’s going to be a really interesting day and I am excited for it.
Do you think you need to box him early and break him down over time?
DANIEL JACOBS: I don’t know what the key is to beating Golovkin because I haven’t stepped in the ring with him yet. It’s about making adjustments and know what to do inside that square ring once you get in it. I could think about what I want to do all day then get in there and it will be a different story on fight night. Champions make sure they make adjustments and make sure they go in there and execute the game plan. We have seen two sides of Golovkin. The one where he fought David Lemieux where he kind of on his back foot and used his jab a lot more and the normal Golovkin where he comes forward and smothers and hit guys with body shots. We don’t know which one we are going to get come fight night but we are going to be ready for whichever comes.
I saw the eye training you were doing on Instagram yesterday…
DANIEL JACOBS: It wasn’t the first time we have done something like that. We do a lot of types of mental training and putting the body through stresses. That was a harsh one yesterday. During this training camp we have added a lot of new things to it and exciting things so we can all stay mentally on top and mentally have that edge. Those things you saw in the video will help us when under pressure you can still have control of your mind and your body.
What has Virgil added to this camp for you?
DANIEL JACOBS: Virgil has opened his gym up to us but it is inevitable not to pick up certain things from other guys like Andre Ward being in the gym, Berto and Amir Khan, Peter Quillin and all of these different guys that are world class. It’s kind of hard not to have it affect your energy level and pick up one or two things that you may see from these guys – that was one of the main reason we wanted to come out here – to pick up off that vibe. Just have one or two guys that are world class, it’s OK but there are a lot of distractions in New York but we can have that same energy, if not more, coming out to the west coast.
ANDRE ROZIER: Actually Virgil and I have been family for a long time – he’s my big bruh – and we came out here with the mind frame to get Danny in a good state of being. Andre Ward, who I call my nephew, is an inspiration to a lot of fighters, with character and escapability, but the ambiance in the gym is fantastic. It has enough championship material, – past, present and future – in that area to give you that good vibe. When you are training and everyone else is vibing off of you – it has a great air to it. We talk about the little things that tweak him that tweaks me – it’s been pretty cool. We came here to do what we need to do and what we’ve always done that’s indicated from Danny’s record. Danny’s a great champion and Danny knows how to fight and this was just a mood-setting situation. Virgil opened the doors to the gym, it was good to see him again and it’s been a great time.
How is sparring and the sparring partners?
DANIEL JACOBS: Sparring is going amazing actually. We have some really good sparring partners that manipulate Golovkin’s style. Individually we have one guy that comes forward and applies nothing but pressure, hard punches and great body shots. We have another guys that has that good Russian European style, and we have another guy who is a mixture of both. I am really happy with the sparring that we’ve got and it’s going to be one of those things that on March 18 we are going to shock the world.
In closing…
ANDRE ROZIER: On March 18 we are coming back home to the Mecca of Boxing, Madison Square Garden, where Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs with ascend to his throne as the Undisputed, almost, Champion of the Middleweight Division. We will be shining, and look out because you may miss the chance of seeing greatness if you are not at the Garden or watching it on HBO Pay-Per-View.
DANIEL JACOBS: Thanks you everyone for the tremendous amount of support. I am extremely grateful. This is the biggest opportunity of my career. I am looking forward to capitalizing and making history. Thank you to everyone who supported me I can’t really stress that enough – the fans who really make this possible. The fans are the ones who support. The fans are the ones that buy the pay per views. The fans are the ones who really make this thing come about. So I want to say thank you, thank you thank you and look forward to seeing everyone on March 18.
Header photo by Ed Mulholland/K2 Promotions
