Two boxing veterans are ready to prove they still have a lot left in the tank. Daniel Jacobs and John Ryder will face off in a super middleweight bout Saturday, Feb. 12, inside Alexandra Palace in London.
Jacobs made his pro debut in 2007. He won the WBA middleweight title in 2014 and defended it four times. The two-time Golden Gloves champion lost the title to Gennadiy Golovkin in 2017. Jacobs won three in a row following that loss, including the IBF middleweight title, but lost it to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in 2019.
The “Miracle Man” has won two in a row since then but has not fought since November 2020 against Gabriel Rosado.
MORE: Jacobs on fighting Ryder after long layoff, competing in UK
Ryder made his pro debut in 2010. “The Gorilla” has competed for numerous titles and won the interim WBA super middleweight belt in 2019. He challenged Callum Smith for the WBA and The Ring super middleweight titles in 2019 but lost via unanimous decision. He has since won two in a row, most recently beating Jozef Jurko via TKO last September.
Alvarez is the undisputed super middleweight champion. Jacobs and Ryder could both see themselves with a title shot following a win.
Sporting News breaks down the fight and provides insight into the betting aspects of the matchup.
Daniel Jacobs vs. John Ryder odds
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Ryder is the +125 underdog, meaning a wager of $100 will result in a $125 profit. Jacobs is the -165 favorite, meaning a wager of $165 will result in a $100 profit.
Daniel Jacobs vs. John Ryder prop bets
Per Bet365, via OddsChecker
- Jacobs via KO/TKO: +400
- Jacobs via decision: +130
- Ryder via KO/TKO: +600
- Ryder via decision: +240
MORE: Jacobs vs. Ryder date, time, price, odds & location
Daniel Jacobs vs. John Ryder prediction
In this fight between patient boxers, two elder statesmen (Ryder is 33 and Jacobs is 35) have a chance to gain momentum within the division.
Ryder (30-5, 17 KOs) has only been stopped once, against Nick Blackwell. In his last loss, to Callum Smith, Ryder landed 185 total punches, with about 6.1 landed per minute, per BoxStat. His primary attack was the lead hook. In his last fight, he utilized his uppercut to take out Josef Jurko.
According to CompuBox, Jacobs (37-3, 30 KOs) landed 78 punches against Gabriel Rosado, who landed the same. He did not land one double-digit strike. He did, however, throw 549 punches, with 56 of them being power shots. Will his power be there after two years away? Jacobs landed 155 shots against Alvarez when they fought, while Alvarez landed 174. Jacobs averaged 4.3 shots per minute.
Jacobs appears to have more stamina the longer a fight goes on. Ryder’s fights normally last 6.8 rounds on average compared to Jacobs’ 10.6. Of Jacobs’ last seven fights, six have gone the distance. Ryder has gone the distance twice in his last seven fights.
MORE: Join DAZN to watch Jacobs vs. Ryder
The fight favors Jacobs, but will the lack of action affect him? He has the height (6-0 compared to 5-9) and reach (72.8 inches to 72 inches) advantages over Ryder, and his power and speed are as dangerous as ever. In fact, the time off may have held him together.
With that long reach, a patient personality and having faced limited damage each time he has performed, Jacobs has a path to win.
Sporting News prediction: Daniel Jacobs via unanimous decision (+130)
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