Gennady Golovkin vs Daniel Jacobs: 3 keys to the fight

Gennady Golovkin defends his collection of middleweight titles against Brooklynite Daniel Jacobs in a compelling clash of power punchers. Here are three key factors that could decide the fight.

In terms of concrete stakes, Gennady Golovkin (36-0, 33 KOs) is placing his WBA, WBC, IBF and IBO middleweight championships, not to mention his 23-fight knockout streak and march towards Bernard Hopkins’ consecutive title defense record, on the line against Brooklyn knockout artist and cancer survivor Daniel Jacobs (32-1, 29 KOs). Golovkin-Jacobs has no rematch clause, which means the Kazakh star is quite literally risking everything at the outset of a 2017 campaign that could define him.

But this is why fans adore Gennady Golovkin. He strives to make the best available fights at all costs — even at the expense of fighting abroad or slightly below his maximum earning power. Of all the prizefighters brave enough to face Golovkin, Daniel Jacobs represents Triple G’s most significant threat due to his athleticism and punching power, and while Canelo Alvarez is the ultimate prize, Golovkin-Jacobs is a middleweight tilt that needed to happen at some point.

Indeed, the vast majority of pundits, and nearly every fan outside of Jacobs’ substantial cohort of supporters, is expecting Golovkin to win by knockout. And although such a conclusion to Golovkin-Jacobs is likely, there are compelling variables at play: the way Golovkin will react to a flush shot from a legitimate, powerful middleweight like Jacobs; the looming referendum on Jacobs’ punch resistance; and the tactical approach from both fighters given the bout’s expected tension and electricity.

So, can Jacobs rattle Golovkin unlike any previous foe? Or will Golovkin bludgeon him into swift submission? Here are three keys to the fight.