At the Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, Daniel Jacobs did exactly what no one expected him to: savage Peter Quillin en route to a 1st round stoppage. After Cotto-Canelo and Klitschko-Fury failed to deliver the advertised ‘fireworks’, this un-hyped Middleweight championship delivered short-lived but scintillating drama.
OK, it was of the one-sided variety. But only because Jacobs, who quickly caught his foe with a peach of a right hand, wouldn’t let his man off the hook. Quite literally, in fact. After Quillin rocked back toward the ropes, clearly on unsteady legs, Jacobs swarmed all over him, firing countless, full-blooded hooks.
Quillin, to his credit, managed to stay on his feet for some time, even throwing back some of his shots in response. But no telling punches found the target, and soon Quillin’s temple was pounded with two rights to the temple, the second sending him sprawling across the ring, with one knee almost touching the canvas.
The referee seemed to hesitate for a second before mercifully saving Quillin, but it was clearly the right call, something Showtime’s action replay soon assured us all of. Quillin may have been stopped on his feet, but his eyes were completely glazed over – and with around a minute to go in the round, I’ve no doubt that Jacobs would have obliterated Quillin.
So that’s it. Jacobs vs Quillin is over. The WBA Middleweight crown, along with Brooklyn bragging rights, now belong to Jacobs, and the 28-year-old certainly captured victory in the most dramatic of fashions. It was touching to see both men express great respect for one another post fight, particularly Quillin after such a crushing defeat, stating he couldn’t have lost to a better man.
So what’s next? I think it’s kind of obvious where Jacobs is headed: the winner of Andy Lee vs Billy Joe Saunders or the formidable Gennady Golovkin. Both are big money fights, and after a performance like that, I wouldn’t like to bet against the guy (especially against the winner of Lee-Saunders). A Canelo Alvarez fight is also a possibility, but I hope Jacobs turns it down if Canelo starts calling for another 155 pound catchweight.
Daniel Jacobs now rises to 31 wins, 1 defeat, 28 knockouts, while Peter Quillin falls to 30 wins, 1 defeats, 1 draw, 23 knockouts. Give us your take on Jacobs vs Quillin in the comments, plus the rest of the undercard.
