By: Sean Crose

“I’m super excited to be returning to the ring,” says Daniel Jacobs. “It has always been a dream of mine to fight in London as a professional, and I’m looking forward to fighting in front of a great crowd. I’m putting my best foot forward on February 12.” The former middleweight champion is referring to his fight next month against John Ryder at London’s Alexandra Palace, a fight that’s now been announced via press release by Matchroom Boxing. The 37-3 Jacobs is looking to remain relevant after losing in the past five years to top guns Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin.

The New Yorker’s last outing was a close 2020 victory over the popular Gabriel Rosado. Of course Jacobs is popular himself, having overcome cancer and endearing himself to fans through gamesmanship and a generally humble disposition. He’s also proven himself to be quite skilled. There are still those – this author included – who feel he should have been given the decision win for his 2017 battle against Golovkin. Plus, the man is always interesting to watch in action.

As for Ryder – this fight poses a true opportunity. Should he best Jacobs, the victory will certainly raise the eyebrows of fight fans. “This is the fight I need to really bring the best out in me,” Ryder says. “Jacobs is a great fighter but he has had his time and now it’s my time to shine! My dreams are at stake on February 12 and destiny awaits. It’s time to get right back to where I need to be.” An extra benefit for the 30-5 Ryder will be that he gets to fight Jacobs in front of a hometown crowd in London.

The Jacobs-Ryder bout is scheduled for 12 rounds in the super middleweight division, and will be aired live on the DAZN streaming service.

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