Daniel Jacobs is thinking big. Big fights, big legacy.
The former middleweight titleholder, now competing as a super middleweight, has his eye on British titleholders Callum Smith and Billy Joe Saunders. A victory over one of them would give Jacobs a world title in second division.
And it would a step toward realizing his ultimate goal.
“I want to be a Hall of Famer one day,” he said on the latest episode of Matchroom Boxing’s podcast “The Lockdown Tapes.” “And winning a belt in this weight division is what I need to do to achieve that.
“You are going to see the best version of Daniel Jacobs now, and I’m looking at the likes of Callum and Billy Joe, both of those fights make sense. Looking at my track record I have really fought some good guys in the last two years.
“I have been able to face the best in the division in my era and that’s what makes me most happy. It only makes sense for me coming into this division to fight the very best. I want to be able to prove that I am the best.”
Another potential opponent, one he might face before a title fight: Gabriel Rosado, the former 160-pound contender who has moved up to 168. He has been calling out Jacobs.
“As well as wanting the big fights, there is also the fights where you want to settle the debt, which is what I have always said about that little nag Gabe Rosado,” Jacobs said. “If we were to fight in New York or Philadelphia, then great. It’s onwards from there. He is just a hater who wants my position.”
Jacobs (36-3, 30 KOs) made his debut as a full-fledged super middleweight against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in December, winning by TKO when Chavez quit after the fifth round because of what he said was a broken nose.
Of course, Jacobs is eager to build on that victory, but the coronavirus pandemic has brought the sporting world to a halt. He’s open to fighting without a live audience. However, for now, he, like everyone else, can only wait.
“I would like to fight this year, but we don’t know at this time,” Jacobs said. “We don’t know how long this process is going to take. Fighting behind closed doors would be a strange experience, but if I felt that the fans wanted to see me fight, then I would make that sacrifice for them. It would be cool.”