LAS VEGAS – Canelo Alvarez and Danny Jacobs will fight on May 4 for three pieces of the middleweight title, according to Alvarez and his promoter Oscar De La Hoya.
Alvarez broke the news Thursday on his twitter account, saying that the fight was official. The site has yet to be determined. However, T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas is believed to be the leading possibility.
In a subsequent news release from DAZN, Alvarez said:
“I will unify my middleweight titles against Daniel Jacobs on one of the two most important dates that belong to me. I have no doubt that I will be victorious and that I’ll be one step away from becoming the undisputed middleweight world champion.”
Jacobs also was quoted in the statement from DAZN, a streaming service which signed Canelo (50-1-2, 34 KOs), the WBC and WBA champion, to a landmark deal after his rematch decision over Gennady Golovkin last September.
“This is the opportunity I have been waiting for,’’ said Jacobs (35-2, 29 KOs), who holds the IBF title. “The opportunity to achieve greatness inside the ring. I have always believed I can beat Canelo, and … I will get my chance to play it out. It’s been nearly four years since Canelo has faced an American challenger. It’s going to be a huge event where I believe I will cement myself as the best middleweight in the division.”
De La Hoya said the Jacobs’ fight is a significant step in Canelo’s relationship with DAZN.
“Canelo Alvarez wants the best fights and the biggest challenges,” De La Hoya said in a statement on news that broke Thursday during the undercard news conference for the Manny Pacquiao-Adrien Broner pay-per-view bout Saturday at the MGM Grand. “That’s what he did as the 154-pound champion, and that’s what he’s doing now as the king of the middleweight division.
“We are also proud to demonstrate to boxing fans that this new partnership with DAZN means that fans will get pay-per-view level fights without the cost of pay-per-view. Golden Boy Promotions is continuing its promise to make the sport as accessible as possible by putting this champion-vs.-champion fight on the platform.”