Brooklyn Boro

Brooklyn middleweights to clash at Barclays

Long-Awaited Jacobs vs. Quillin Brawl Slated for Dec. 5

October 1, 2015 By John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Danny “The Miracle Man” Jacobs is 4-0 at Barclays Center entering his much-anticipated Dec. 5 middleweight title showdown with fellow Brooklynite Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin. Photo courtesy of HoganPhotos/SHOWTIME
Share this:

This is the title bout Brooklynites have been waiting for.

Two of the most popular local fighters to lace them up at Downtown’s Barclays Center, middleweights Danny Jacobs and Peter Quillin, officially announced Wednesday that they would be going head-to-head on Dec. 5 at the Downtown Brooklyn arena for the WBA Middleweight World Championship.

Jacobs (30-1, 27 KOs), a Brownsville native and Erasmus Hall High School alum, currently holds the belt after securing it with a knockout victory over Jarrod Fletcher in August 2014.

The “Miracle Man,” dubbed so after winning a bout with a rare form of bone cancer several years ago, improved to 4-0 all-time at Barclays with the victory, launching himself into the stratosphere of the world’s top middleweights.

Subscribe to our newsletters

Quillin (32-0-1, 23 KOs), a Brooklyn resident who originally hails from Chicago, is 2-0-1 in Barclays bouts, including a draw with Andy Lee here last November.

“Kid Chocolate” made a bit of history on the corners of Atlantic and Flatbush avenues back on the Opening Night for boxing at Barclays on Oct. 20, 2012, when he scored a unanimous decision win over Hassan N’Dam to grab the WBO Middleweight belt.

Jacobs also fought that night, returning to the ring after sitting out nearly a year-and-a-half while undergoing treatment for his cancer. He knocked out Josh Luteran in the opening round on that fight card, and hasn’t lost since, reeling off 10 straight victories in all since his lone defeat to Dmitry Pirog in 2010, just before he received his cancer diagnosis.

Pitting these two against one another in a SHOWTIME-televised title bout should be the most highly anticipated Barclays boxing show since hometown heroes Paulie Malignaggi and Zab Judah squared off here for the mythical Brooklyn Championship on Dec. 7, 2013.

Just two years shy of that date, Jacobs and Quillin are looking forward to finding out which Brooklyn boxer will carry the belt out of the ring come Dec. 5.

“There is no doubt this is going to be one of the biggest fights Brooklyn has ever seen,” said Jacobs. “Me and Peter go back a long time, but this is business. I’m the champion and he’s the challenger. I’m going to do everything I can to win on Dec. 5 and show the world that I’m the best Brooklyn has to offer.”

“The fans have waited a long time for this fight and now it’s finally here,” countered Quillin, who is coming off a fifth-round knockout of Michael Zerafa last December.

“I was back in the gym on Monday after my fight against Zerafa preparing for Dec. 5,” he added. “I know there is so much at stake for me — a belt and Brooklyn bragging rights. It’s going to be a night to remember for me and for all of Brooklyn.”

Both fighters could have entered the ring as reigning champions of their respective sanctioning bodies, but Quillin was forced to turn his in earlier this year, due to the birth of his son and the death of his uncle, which necessitated a layoff for the 32-year-old ring veteran.

Jacobs, 28, will likely go in as the favorite, especially following August’s second-round TKO of Sergio Mora at Barclays.

“This is the ultimate Brooklyn matchup,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of Barclays Center. “Miracle Man vs. Kid Chocolate is about more than a world title, it’s about Brooklyn bragging rights and glory. The borough is ready for Dec. 5.”

“Daniel Jacobs vs. Peter Quillin is a unique matchup of two bona fide middleweight stars, each in the prime of his career,” said Stephen Espinoza, executive vice president and general manager for SHOWTIME Sports.  “It is as evenly matched as you’ll find in the division, and it stands to be the career-defining fight for both men. We expect the action in the ring and the atmosphere at Barclays Center will make for a very memorable night. For boxing fans, it doesn’t get any better than this.”

***

In other local sports news, the New York Cosmos, who will host their North American Soccer League playoff semifinal in Coney Island on Nov. 7 at MCU Park, conducted at open practice at nearby Lincoln High School on Wednesday evening.

The Cosmos, one of the nation’s most prestigious pro soccer organizations, boasting former futbol legends like Pele and Franz Beckenbauer, are back on the pro pitch following a three-decade absence.

They will be aiming for their sixth NASL title next month after winning the first five during the franchise’s heydays of the late 1970s and early ‘80s.

 


Leave a Comment


Leave a Comment