Fight Report: Jacobs vs Quillin

Supposedly a battle for Brooklyn bragging rights, Jacobs vs Quillin was also a match between two of the best middleweights in the world. Daniel Jacobs walked into Brooklyn’s Barclay’s Center a slight underdog last night as he set to defend his WBA world title against the talented (though often frustrating to watch) Peter Quillin. The business-first Quillin had proven himself a formidable opponent over the last few years and now was looking to take away Jacob’s piece of the current middleweight title pie. As it turned out, that was simply never meant to be and the oddsmakers were proven wrong.

Although Quillin came out strong at the opening bell, Jacobs caught his man with a right hand that clearly hurt the self-styled “Kid Chocolate.” After going all out on his staggered foe, Jacobs then caused Quillin to stumble about the ring on shaky legs after landing a vicious right hand to the temple. Quillin managed to stay on his feet but the referee carefully assessed the hurt fighter before deciding to end the match then and there. The entire affair lasted 95 seconds, just over half a round.

Some will claim the bout was stopped too soon but in fact the referee made the right call. One look at Quillin’s face after the battle ended told fans all they needed to know. This was a beaten man and a few more seconds of punishment would not have changed anything except perhaps the state of Quillin’s health. It was a wise decision on the part of the referee, plain and simple.

Afterwards, both fighters acted like true gentlemen (how weird it is writing those words in a boxing article). Danny Jacobs was a gracious winner, and Quillin was a respectful loser. Many other boxers would do well to take note. It is a sport, after all, and that thing called ‘sportsmanship’ is supposed to have a place in it.

Indeed, the only thing that could have made these two likable fighters even more likable would have been if either had shown the slightest interest in facing the other title-holders in the division, those being Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and, the man who most consider the best middleweight in the world, Gennady Golovkin. However, Jacobs and Quillin, despite their virtues, are thoroughly modern fighters in that they put business first and healthy competition a distant second. And that, of course,  is a shame.                             — Sean Crose