DANNY JACOBS IS the IBF World middleweight champion after the New Yorker overcame a serious challenge in the shape of previously unbeaten Ukrainian Sergiy Derevyanchenko via split decision (115-112 x2; 113-114).
Jacobs, a year younger at 31, dropped ‘The Technician’ in the opening round but was then drawn into a battle of will with Derevyanchenko at The Theater in Madison Square Garden, with the former World Championships bronze medalist and World Series of Boxing star trading with him until the final bell.
According to CompuBox statistics, Jacobs landed 181 of his 578 overall punches, 21 more than Derevyanchenko (160 of 658). The fighters landed 137 power punches apiece.
Watch the highlights as Daniel Jacobs became a two-time world middleweight champion with a split decision win over Sergiy Derevyanchenko.
“Hats off to Sergiy,” Jacobs said of his former sparring partner. “A true competitor. I knew he’d be hard and I had to dig deep. I used my range and boxed on the back foot. Those are my best attributes. He looked gassed after five, and I knew I could let him load up and miss. He didn’t really hurt me, but he’s tough as nails.
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“He worked the body and kind of gassed me, but I know I have another level in me, above him. Sergiy is one of the most skilful I’ve ever been in with, and he’s being avoided for a reason. But I wanted the strap, so I had to take it.”
Danny Jacobs lands a left uppercut in front of nearly 5,000 fans at MSG Joel Plummer
Joel Plummer
Jacobs and Derevyanchenko had sparred more than 300 rounds over the past four years, and while the eastern European was more than familiar with his American foe, he still felt he could have done more to get the nod on the night.
“It was a very close fight,” Derevyanchenko said. “I knew that the knockdown could come back to bite me. But I felt like I was hurting him every round, controlling action. Maybe I could have jabbed my way in a little bit more and gone to the body a little more.”
Jacobs, promoted by Eddie Hearn, moves to 35-2, 29KOs; Derevyanchenko suffered a first defeat at The Garden and drops to 12-1, 10KOs.
Also on the bill, another New Yorker in Heather Hardy became world champion for the first time as she comprehensively outboxed rival Shelly Vincent in their eagerly anticipated rematch.
‘The Heat’, a prospective opponent for Katie Taylor, had her hand raised via unanimous decision (97-93 x2, 99-91) in what was only the second ever women’s fight to be broadcast live on HBO.
In victory, Hardy picked up the WBO featherweight strap vacated by Cindy Serrano, who fought Taylor in Boston eight days ago.
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Danny Jacobs wins on a split, Heather Hardy finally becomes world champ in New York
DANNY JACOBS IS the IBF World middleweight champion after the New Yorker overcame a serious challenge in the shape of previously unbeaten Ukrainian Sergiy Derevyanchenko via split decision (115-112 x2; 113-114).
Jacobs, a year younger at 31, dropped ‘The Technician’ in the opening round but was then drawn into a battle of will with Derevyanchenko at The Theater in Madison Square Garden, with the former World Championships bronze medalist and World Series of Boxing star trading with him until the final bell.
According to CompuBox statistics, Jacobs landed 181 of his 578 overall punches, 21 more than Derevyanchenko (160 of 658). The fighters landed 137 power punches apiece.
“Hats off to Sergiy,” Jacobs said of his former sparring partner. “A true competitor. I knew he’d be hard and I had to dig deep. I used my range and boxed on the back foot. Those are my best attributes. He looked gassed after five, and I knew I could let him load up and miss. He didn’t really hurt me, but he’s tough as nails.
“He worked the body and kind of gassed me, but I know I have another level in me, above him. Sergiy is one of the most skilful I’ve ever been in with, and he’s being avoided for a reason. But I wanted the strap, so I had to take it.”
Jacobs and Derevyanchenko had sparred more than 300 rounds over the past four years, and while the eastern European was more than familiar with his American foe, he still felt he could have done more to get the nod on the night.
“It was a very close fight,” Derevyanchenko said. “I knew that the knockdown could come back to bite me. But I felt like I was hurting him every round, controlling action. Maybe I could have jabbed my way in a little bit more and gone to the body a little more.”
Jacobs, promoted by Eddie Hearn, moves to 35-2, 29KOs; Derevyanchenko suffered a first defeat at The Garden and drops to 12-1, 10KOs.
Also on the bill, another New Yorker in Heather Hardy became world champion for the first time as she comprehensively outboxed rival Shelly Vincent in their eagerly anticipated rematch.
‘The Heat’, a prospective opponent for Katie Taylor, had her hand raised via unanimous decision (97-93 x2, 99-91) in what was only the second ever women’s fight to be broadcast live on HBO.
In victory, Hardy picked up the WBO featherweight strap vacated by Cindy Serrano, who fought Taylor in Boston eight days ago.
36-year-old Hardy is now 22-0 as a professional but more importantly has fulfilled her dream of owning a world title belt.
The Irish-American hopes to face Taylor over the next six months in what would be a transatlantic derby of sorts; Hardy’s ancestors hail from “a few miles outside Dublin”, and arrived in New York in 1928.
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Taylor superfight in the works as Hearn set to sign six-weight world champion Serrano
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