Over the years, Andre Rozier had become more of a father figure towards Daniel Jacobs, as opposed to simply being known as his trainer. Having guided him to world title wins on multiple occasions, Rozier, deep down inside, knew that Jacobs’ time in the limelight was coming to an end.
Yet, as Jacobs attempted to make one final run, it was Rozier who was in his ear – motivating and encouraging him throughout it all. On their first stop on the road to a world title push, Jacobs officially ended a two-and-a-half-year layoff when he agreed to take on fringe contender, Shane Mosley Jr.
From a physical standpoint, Jacobs looked like himself. Six-pack, broad shoulders, protruding biceps, and a bright smile. With that said, once he entered the ring on July 6th, the knockout power and smooth boxing ability he always had simply weren’t there anymore.
Soon after losing a lopsided decision, Jacobs decided to hang up his gloves. While in some cases, walking away from the game can be a difficult choice, considering how he looked, Rozier believes his now former fighter made the right call.
“Although I expected him to win the fight, the desire and the excitement were no longer there,” Rozier told Boxing News 24. “This is the time when he should retire. He’s been in the game for 17 years. I wish him nothing but the best in this second phase of his life.”
Since 2019, Jacobs (37-5, 30 KOs) competed in the super middleweight division but his best work came as a 160-pounder. With both the WBA regular and IBF trinkets sitting on his mantle at home, Jacobs is at peace. No longer will he be forced to cut back on meals in order to make weight, and he’ll have no problem saying goodbye to those arduous training camps that put his body through hell.
Still, even with a sense of relief, behind the scenes, the mind of Jacobs was going 100 miles per hour. He might be proud of the big-time wins he grabbed over the likes of Peter Quillin and Sergiy Derevyanchenko, along with the back-and-forth battles against Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin but he wondered whether or not he had done enough to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Officially, Jacobs will have to hope and pray as he now begins the waiting period. Rozier, however, doesn’t believe that his former champ should be panicking. From his point of view, by the time the 2027 Hall of Fame class is unveiled, Rozier expects Jacobs to be a part of it.
“I still think he has enough kudos to get into the international Hall of Fame. I think he’ll pass those hallowed doors.”
Read the full article here
