On Top of the World: Daniel Jacobs beats Derevianchenko to win the IBF Middleweight Title

Since losing to Gennady Golovkin back in 2017, Daniel Jacobs has been on a mission to get back on top of the boxing world. After last night (October 27), the Daniel Jacobs comeback tour has reached its apex.

In a sold-out Hulu Theater inside Madison Square Garden, Jacobs defeated sparring partner Sergiy Derevianchenko via split decision to win the vacant IBF Middleweight Title. The bout was a classic, bringing an end to HBO’s successful run with boxing. This also gave Jacobs one of boxing’s major belts. After winning three fights in a row, the last one a very competitive bout, Jacobs is eying Canelo Alvarez next.

“We absolutely want Canelo. It’s a fight that the fans want. This would be a great fight for the fans, and now that I have the strap, there’s gonna be more in the pudding for everybody. Let’s make this fight happen.”

Coming into the fight, not many could tell you who Sergiy was. By the end of the night, he showed that he isn’t just another plain boxer. Jacobs and Sergiy had a back and forth affair, to the point that one of the judges gave the fight to the latter.

Round one started pretty civilly. Jacobs did hit Derevyanchenko with a jab that knocked him down early. While Sergiy was looking for the power punches, Jacobs was worked past every move, countering several key shots. Sergiy did not go away that easily. In the middle rounds, Sergiy hit decisive shots to the head and body of Jacobs, backing him up a bit.

Around round seven, Sergiy held Jacobs against the ropes, not giving him the opportunity to strike. Jacobs ended up getting out of it, hitting monumental strikes while also going southpaw for a bit. Round ten saw a different pace, as Sergiy punished Jacobs with calculating strikes to the body. That was his plan throughout the bout, and it started to show in the later rounds. Once round elven hit, it was time for the fireworks to go off.

HBO has been known to host legendary boxing contests. While not directly fitting into that category, round eleven was one for the ages. Both went back and forth, not letting up to the delight of the crowd. That led to round twelve, with Sergiy needing a big knockout in order to secure a victory. He looked strong in the end, as both fighters finished things up with some wild blows.

The fighters trade one last time to end the fight. #JacobsDerevyanchenko pic.twitter.com/nb62caDFdM

— HBOboxing (@HBOboxing) October 28, 2018

Speaking after the fight, Jacobs felt proud of his accomplishment and admired the fact that he holds all the cards now. Whether it is against one or both of the Charlo bothers, a GGG rematch or a favored Canelo bout, Jacobs is ready.

Speaking of Canelo, he is set to face Rocky Fielding inside MSG in December. If he were to get the win and pick up the WBA Super belt, a clash of champions bout boxing has been waiting for could be on the horizon.