In Danny Jacobs’s mind the outcome was inevitable, it just wasn’t the way he wanted to get there.
The Brownsville native won the biggest fight of his career. He earned a technical knockout of veteran Sergio Mora at 2:55 of the second round in a bout for Jacobs’s World Boxing Association middleweight title last Saturday in front of a crowd of 7,237 at Barclays Center in the co-event on the Premier Boxing Champions card.
Both fighters sent the other to the canvas in the opening round before the fight was ended after Mora said he suffered multiple injuries to this right leg and could not continue. It was the first time Mora has been stopped in his career. Jacobs wanted to end things in the ring and not from the corners, but he accepted this outcome.
“I knew when I got a guy hurt how to finish him” Jacobs said. “I knew it was either going to be that round or the next round I was going to get him out of there. I wanted to be the first to ever stop Sergio Mora. I think we accomplished that today.”
Jacobs (30–1, 27 KOs) brought a close to the fight when he landed a combination that stunned Mora and sent him back-peddling. He appeared to connect with a short overhand right as Mora (28–4, 9 KOs) went to the mat with his right leg awkwardly buckling under him.
Mora was left noticeably limping and told referee Gary Rosato to stop the fight. Mora said he felt his knee pop. It was later revealed his ankle was broken.
Mora said he wants another crack at Jacobs.
“I told you I came here to fight,” Mora said. “I give him credit, but I came to take this championship. I want a rematch.”
But Jacobs said there would not be a return bout, and he is not looking back. He was surprised Mora was able to score a flash knockdown with a big left hand in the first round with Jacobs being over-aggressive. He had just dropped Mora with a right upper cut.
Jacobs expressed interest in fighting former World Boxing Organization Middleweight Champion and Downtown resident Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin at Barclays Center before the year is up.
“No other fight do I hear about most than Kid Chocolate at that Barclays Center,” Jacobs said. “I feel like a lot of people want that fight.”
Jacobs has won eight-straight fights and believes he has earned a chance to take on one of the other top guys in the division. If he can’t fight Quillin, he’d prefer to take on one of the other premier fighters.
“I’m tired of fighting these guys,” Jacobs said. “I won’t discredit my opponents, but a lot of people want to see me step up, and so do I. I am a young champion and I want to fight the best.”
