By: Sean Crose
It was a snowy late afternoon in Manhattan as I made my way from Grand Central Terminal to Madison Square Garden. After passing security, I received my press pass and made my way through the back rooms of the venue’s cave towards the arena itself. It’s strange to be alone in an empty, or nearly empty, Madison Square Garden. The seats that were about to be filled by thousands of people were already empty. The electronic image, which will soon become part of the show and circumstance, is not visible to anyone. And, if it’s a fight night, the chilling effect of an empty boxing ring in the middle of it all is interesting and maybe even harbinger to watch.
And so, I myself seemed to feel at ease that evening at “The Garden,” setting up my laptop while “24K Magic” reverberated through the sound system. I was feeling good. It’s almost time. Gennady Golovkin, the terrorist who dodged middleweight, is just hours away from being able to trade hard hit with Brooklynite Daniel Jacobs. I was expecting a good game… but I didn’t even expect I would be back on the streets of New York nine hours after feeling Jacobs had won the title, that the jury’s decision was wrong. Yet, nearly five years later, I still haven’t changed my view that Daniel Jacobs did enough to bring down Golovkin over St. Patrick’s Day weekend in New York.
Not that the fight wasn’t too close. Fans, both those at sold-out Madison Square Garden, and pay-per-view viewers, saw Jacobs boxing very well in seasons one and two…and even season three. When Golovkin brought his man to the ring in the fourth round, it looked like it was all over. Jacobs took to the field and fought, however, never falling again in the fight. The following, from the passage I wrote that night in the Garden, would perhaps show how close the battle was. “Jacobs went on, in this author’s opinion, to a seventh win,” I wrote. “The eighth game was an extremely tight tie, with Jacobs getting the synergies, but Golovkin landing stronger. It has become an uphill battle to call. “
And a tough fight to call it. However, when the final bell rang, and I read the personal scorecard I kept during the game, I was surprised to find that I gave Jacobs more innings than GGG. Later, I learned that other writers on the scene had also fought for Jacobs. However, I would not go so far as to call the final and final decision of the judge – the decision that belongs to Golovkin – a robbery. This is a match that is too close for the hype to participate. The judges saw what they saw. Me and the others in that crowded crowd simply saw things differently.
However, it bothers me that Jacobs will never reach the heights he did that night again. It was as if the match against GGG took the best from him. Or did it? We can find out tomorrow when “Miracle Man” faces John Ryder in the UK.
