Daniel Jacobs to return in May or June, world title fight by end of 2020

Daniel Jacobs, the former middleweight titleholder who moved up to super middleweight in December, is expecting to announce his next fight soon, a final tune-up at 168 pounds before challenging for a world title by the end of 2020.

Jacobs expects to return in late May or early June on DAZN, then in the fall wants to fight one of the titleholders or a major middleweight name at a catchweight if he can’t get a title shot.

Jacobs (36-3, 30 KO) lost to Canelo Alvarez last May in his final bout at 160 pounds, then beat Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in an instantly infamous bout in Phoenix on Dec. 20 when Chavez quit after five rounds.

We know Gabriel Rosado — who was on standby to fight Jacobs in December — wants the fight. He wouldn’t be the worst opponent for a final “acclimation” bout at 168. As for the possible title fight, the beltholders at 168 are Callum Smith (WBA), Billy Joe Saunders (WBO), Caleb Plant (IBF), and David Benavidez (WBC). Smith and Saunders are both with Matchroom and DAZN, as is Jacobs, and Plant and Benavidez are PBC fighters.

There’s a good chance Saunders will fight Canelo Alvarez on May 2, and then if Canelo wins that, he might well fight Smith in the fall, which would take the two easiest paths to a title fight away from Jacobs.