Trainer Andre Rozier: ‘Things would look different’ if Saunders fights Jacobs

Andre Rozier is on a helluva run right now, being that he tutors Danny Jacobs, one of the three or four best middleweights on the planet, and he supervised the wrecking of Miguel Cotto’s retirement bash at MSG a few weeks ago, cornering the up from 147 Brooklyner Sadam Ali in the upset of the year.

Rozier checked in with BLH and told us what he thought of Billy Joe Saunders’ outing last weekend, what he thinks of a Jacobs vs Saunders clash, and more about his stable, which includes Ievgen Khytrov, Ivan Golub, and who he refers to as “my newest nephew,” Richard Commey.

First off, Rozier told me he thinks Saunders “did what he needed to do against Lemieux” but he and me are on the same page, in offering that no one should get ahead of themselves and label the Brit Traveller an ATG off his showing versus Lemieux.

“Things would look different if Danny fought BJ,” Rozier told me. “Those are two different athletes, and Danny is definitely far more mobile, a whole lot faster, he’s just more of a multi faceted athlete.”

So, Rozier would dig that next for Jacobs, a fight against the mouthy defensive specialist, Saunders? ”Without a doubt,” the trainer said. “Though the powers that be, the promoters don’t always see eye to eye, but if it could be made, we’d love it.”

Rozier also wasn’t unimpressed with what Spike O’Sullivan did against Antoine Douglas, on that same HBO show. If Jacobs were placed in with O’Sullivan, I actually think bang for buck-wise, that’s a more “fan friendly” session than would be Jacobs vs. Saunders, arguably, being that Spike is present to bang, and BJ is most interested in evasion.

“Yeah, Danny possesses thunder and lighting,” Rozier commented. “People are afraid of thunder, not realizing that it’s the lightning will take you out! Unlike Douglas, we’d we will be there with a complete arsenal! Danny would be firing combos, Danny cracks with the power to put Spike down!”

Rozier said that his 16-1 kid Khytrov will be looking toward meaningful fights in 2018; the Ukraininan is 2-0 since a loss to Immanuel Aleem. 13-1 Ukrainian Ian Golub, he said, is also chomping at the bit to have a most wonderful 2018, after taking his first L in 2017.

And deeper into his stable, what about that new addition, the newest “nephew,” Commey, the 25-2 Ghanian? He gloves up February 10, on the Mikey Garcia undercard in Texas, against Alejandro Luna (22-0). What might be different about Commey, who lost back to back SDs, to Robert Easter and Denis Shafikov, before getting a W in his last outing, against 26-2 Hedi Slimani.

“Fliudity,” that will likely be what we notice, said Rozier. Also, more persistence of aggression. “Big Mike, he’s an apostle out of ring, a warlord in the ring!”

Follow Woods on Twitter.