Daniel Jacobs Lacking Class in Skipping IBF-sanctioned Second Day Weigh-in for His Clash with Gennady Golovkin?

In the recently-concluded middleweight clash between Gennady Golovkin (36-0, 33 KOs) and Daniel Jacobs (32-2-29 KOs) was supposed to include the IBF world middleweight championship crown, with Golovkin being the owner of the belt. But on fight day, Jacobs was only qualified to, as per ESPN, win the WBA (super), WBC, and IBO versions of the crown being held by Gennady Golovkin, the reigning undisputed middleweight champion.

Daniel Jacob's disqualification from winning the IBF crown was caused by his failure to participate in the same-day weight check ordered by the IBF. Unlike of the other sanctioning bodies, the IBF does not allow fighters participating in a world title match weighing 10 lbs heavier than the allowed weight limit in the morning of the day of the fight. Only Gennady Golovkin reported for the IBF weight check tipping the scales at 169. 6 lbs which was just within the allowed weight limit of 170 lbs.

At the official weigh in on Friday, March 17, Gennady Golovkin weighed in at 159.6 lbs; Daniel Jacobs at 159.8 lbs. Daniel Jacobs, being the naturally bigger fighter, the weigh-in guideline set by the IBF would prove detrimental to him. Participation in the said weigh-in means he would have to limit himself from rehydrating after the official weigh-in the day before. Jacob's team did agree on the days the bout was being made he would challenge Golovkin for all his belts.

According to USA Today, the Golovkin camp did comment on the decision of Jacobs' camp as lacking respect but claimed it was their problem they have to deal with. Apart from that, the side of the former Olympian from Kazakhstan did not seem to care much about the issue.

Come fight night, on March 18 at the Madison Square Garden in New York City, Jacobs did look to be the bigger and heavier man in the ring and went on to give Golovkin the toughest fight thus far in his career - the first time, in his last 23 victories, Golovkin, 34, saw himself dragged by his opponent to the full stretch of the fight. Golovkin did manage to put down Jacobs in the 4^th round but Daniel Jacobs, a New Yorker, would simply shake it off never to suffer a knockdown again in the remaining duration of the fight. When the smoke of battle cleared Golovkin still managed to secure the victory via close unanimous decision by scores of 115-112, 112-113 and 115-112. Some experts, however, believed Jacobs did enough to win the fight.

There is no cloud of doubt, Jacobs, 30, holder of the WBA secondary world crown and knocking out 29 opponents in his 32 victories, is arguably a no pushover fighter and it is simply hard to tell whether his refusal to submit himself to the IBF-facilitated same-day weigh in had an impact, if any, in Golovkin's performance.