Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn said at last night’s press conference that he sees Daniel Jacobs moving up to 168 pounds, but he was also asked if that might be difficult as far as finding good fights for Jacobs, given that PBC controls some of the division’s bigger names.
But Hearn doesn’t see it as an issue, and took the opportunity to plug fights for his guy at 168, WBA titleholder Callum Smith.
“I think when you look at the landscape, you have two PBC guys who are world champions at 168, one Matchroom guy, and I believe the WBO title has become vacant for a gift for Billy Joe Saunders next week. I wouldn’t say it’s a division controlled by PBC, they have two world champions,” Hearn said.
“We’d love to make the David Benavidez fight with Callum Smith, I think it’s a great, great fight. We’d love to make the Canelo fight with Callum Smith, that’s an opportunity for Canelo to move up and win the Ring Magazine championship at 168 pounds as well as the 160 that he holds.
“I think Callum’s in a good position. You’re going to see him on June 1 at Madison Square Garden, we’ll announce that next week. I just think that having spoken to Danny backstage, I think the answer he’ll give you is he has to move.”
Jacobs said last night that he will speak with his team about potentially moving to 168.
“It’s questionable for me if I’m gonna stay in the middleweight division because it is taking a toll on my body and it’s showing,” he said during his time at the mic. “I might have outgrown the middleweight division, and I might take my talents to super middleweight.”
As for Canelo doing super middleweight, he did it in December against Rocky Fielding, but with respect to Rocky Fielding, Rocky Fielding is just Rocky Fielding. As much height as Fielding had on Canelo, Smith would have even more, and Smith is simply a lot better than Fielding, which is the much bigger thing. They settled that in 2015 when Smith stopped Rocky in the first round.
