Daniel Jacobs Dishes Out Tough Love to Peter Quillin in Bittersweet Battle For Brooklyn

By Chris “Man of Few Words” Benedict

One of Charles Darwin’s less controversial observations had to do with how “a man’s friendships are one of the best measures of his worth.” This is a concept that is well understood by Peter Quillin and Daniel Jacobs whose friendly rivalry was put to the test Saturday night at the Barclays Center with both a world title and regional bragging rights on the line in a fight that carried the promotional tag line “Winner Takes The Belt And Brooklyn”.

There is evidence here of more than a slight whiff of Social Darwinism. Not to be confused with the theory of Natural Selection, which not only pinches the evolutionist’s name but corrupts the intention of his biological findings, Social Darwinism is better known by its often misinterpreted summarization of the existential struggle for “survival of the fittest.” This is something Daniel Jacobs also knows more than a little bit about. Already regrouping from his first professional loss (having won his first 20 bouts-only three of which went the distance-as well as the WBO, NABF, and NABO middleweight titles), courtesy of a 5th round knockout by Dmitry Pirog, Danny was diagnosed with a form of bone cancer known as osteosarcoma. Because the tumor, said to be the size of a softball, enveloped his spine, Jacobs was alerted to the grim reality that even though the surgery to remove it may be successful, he would likely never walk and certainly never box again. Standing that prognosis on its head, only a year and a half later Danny knocked out Josh Luteran in the first round of his return bout in Brooklyn and worked his way back to championship form within two years, taking the vacant WBA (Regular) World Middleweight title by putting Jarrod Fletcher away in the very same Barclays ring.

So, to say that Daniel Jacobs has come by his nickname “The Miracle Man” honestly is a gross understatement. Danny once again proved his resilience this past August by picking himself up off the canvas after getting caught by a short left hook from Sergio Mora in the first round to inject some venom of his own into “The Latin Snake” in the second. Mora was still rolling around in agony from having suffered a freak ankle fracture, awaiting the stretcher to convey him to the hospital, and therefore had to sit by and listen as Jacobs not only denied him a rematch but publicly called “Kid Chocolate” out instead.

Peter Quillin is a Brooklyn resident of Cuban extraction, by way of his father Pedro who bestowed the famous moniker on to his son in honor of Havana’s original “Kid Chocolate”, legendary featherweight Eligio Sardinias Montalvo. Quillin’s unlikely road to stardom took him from hustling crack and slaughtering chickens to knocking Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam down six times and claiming his WBO World Middleweight title on the first boxing card held at the Barclays Center on October 20, 2012 which also featured Daniel Jacobs’ successful comeback from cancer against Josh Luteran. Unable back in April to make weight and thus reclaim the championship he relinquished the year before, Quillin floored new title-holder Andy Lee twice but also became acquainted with the bitter taste of canvas for the first time in his career en route to a dissatisfying split draw. Twelve weeks ago, “Kid Chocolate” knocked a terribly overmatched and outweighed Michael Zerafa delirious with a single savage right cross on a PBC afternoon broadcast from Connecticut’s Foxwoods Resort (Quillin had rehydrated to 182 for the 162-pound catchweight fight, whereas Zerafa came in at 168). Visibly distraught about his opponent’s well-being until the concussed Zerafa regained some measure of his senses, Quillin celebrated by showering spectators with Hershey’s Kisses and vowing to Danny Jacobs, seated at ringside as they stared eyeball-to-eyeball, that he welcomed the opportunity to eat his friend’s chocolate too.

Not only was Quillin denied the opportunity to satisfy his sweet tooth but the first punch landed by Jacobs melted him into what my friend Rob referred to as Kid Chocolate pudding.
Although he may have been held at a disadvantage by odds makers and the majority of fight fans, the rousing crowd reaction inside Barclays was indicative of how much a sentimental favorite Jacobs was. A percussion band in the stands beat a synchronized tattoo during Daniel’s ring walk as if sounding war drums to usher the hometown hero off to battle.

The two friends exchanged no hint of a smile while receiving instructions from referee Harvey Dock, only intense stares. And-after all of the anticipation, promotion, and predictions-the climax came almost as soon as the bell tolled. Quillin was rocked by a right hand that sent him into self-defense mode wherein he existed strictly on reflex and instinct. Covering up and hoping not to get hit, Quillin returned only four or five feeble punches amidst the hellish storm unloosed by Jacobs who wasted no time seizing the initiative. Two overhand rights to the temple caused Quillin to stagger drunkenly backward and Harvey Dock waved the fight off inside of ninety seconds.

Pandemonium erupted. Incredulous curses and hypothetical questions soared through the air. Had Dock stopped the fight entirely too soon? Assuming he had the presence of mind to consider such an option, should Quillin have taken a knee and an eight-count? Would it have made any difference?

Watching the playback and seeing the look in Quillin’s eyes (or lack thereof) was certainly unsettling. Like a No Vacancy sign flickering uselessly in the windows of a motel the proprietor of which has taken leave of the premises and whose immediate return is debatable. Daniel Jacobs was humble in victory, Peter Quillin contrite in defeat. Juggling his WBA title strap and the newly created Brooklyn Championship belt presented to him, Jacobs was concerned for Quillin’s well-being and receptive to the idea of giving his friend another chance on another night.
Evolutionist and atheist Richard Dawkins, in a quote often wrongly attributed to Charles Darwin, wrote that “In the struggle for survival, the fittest win out at the expense of their rivals because they succeed in adapting themselves best to their environment.”

In the co-main event, WBA featherweight champion Jesus Cuellar successfully defended his title against Puerto Rico’s Jonathan Oquendo whose obsessive backpedaling threw a wet blanket over the expected fireworks and drew frequent boos and cries of “boring” from the crowd. The bout’s only knockdown occurred in the fourth round when the leg of the Argentinian southpaw champion became entwined with that of his orthodox challenger as he landed a right cross. As is typical of such a stylistic contrast, bloodletting head clashes were common throughout the twelve-rounder which went unanimously to Cuellar.

Titus Williams, a super-featherweight from Elmont on Long Island, improved his record to a perfect 4-0 with a four-round unanimous decision over Emmanuel Castro. Both fighters hit the deck in the opening round but Williams was dominant thereafter, flooring Castro again in the third with a powerful right.
Coming off two consecutive losses to Amir Khan and Manny Pacquiao since unseating “The Siberian Rocky”-WBO World Super-lightweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov-a year and a half ago, Huntington native Chris Algieri got back into the win column. It was no easy task, however, as Erick Bone of Howard Beach by way of Quito, Ecuador was determined not to be a transitional stepping stone for Algieri. Foreshadowing the events of the featherweight title fight, Algieri and Bone got tangled up mid-punch in the last ten seconds of the eighth round, resulting in an awkward knockdown. With multiple abrasions and a mouse beneath his left eye, Algieri looked worse for wear when his hand was raised. The consensus of his points win was unanimous but judge Julie Lederman gave Chris a slim one-point margin.

2012 Olympian and light-heavyweight contender Marcus Browne will surely catapult into the top ten rankings with a decisive fourth-round TKO over Francisco Sierra who was drenched in his own blood by the end of the first round after being opened up by a brutal right. Browne’s was no mere head-hunting expedition as he strategically threw into the mix an assortment of effective body shots.

In a light-heavyweight battle of the boroughs, Shirley’s Joe Smith Jr. (19-1-0) and Will Rosinsky of Ozone Park (19-2-0) both entered the ring sporting a lot of ink and throwing a lot of leather. Although they boast 26 knockouts between them, this one went the ten-round distance. Rosinsky’s very vocal contingency (chanting “Will Power!” throughout) could not save their man, tough as he may be, from having the left side of his face pulverized by a succession of left jabs and right crosses dealt out by Smith.

Former WBA World Super-welterweight title holder Yuri Foreman exhibited two years’ worth of ring rust in his lackluster unanimous decision win over the very game Lenwood Dozier. Foreman’s feet were often busier than his hands and Dozier gave him a good going over early on but all scorecards had Foreman winning 77-75.
Brooklyn’s own female super-bantamweight sensation Heather “The Heat” Hardy fought the walk-off, remaining undefeated (now at 15-0) by toughing out a unanimous decision in her rematch with Noemi Bosques (see separate feature article for full story).

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