WBO light heavyweight titleholder Joe Smith Jr could be on the verge of defending his title against Daniel Jacobs this fall according to what representatives for both sides have confirmed to RingTV. Keith Connolly, who manages Jacobs, says that Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn made a lucrative offer to Joe Smith for the bout, one which he believes will garner serious consideration.
“I think it was a great offer that Eddie made. It’s multiple times more than Joe Smith has ever made in his life, so I think it was a strong offer. It’ll be the biggest fight between New Yorkers in New York in a long time.”
Joe DeGuardia, who promotes Smith, confirmed the offer from Hearn and admitted there was interest there but says he plans to sit down with Smith and Bob Arum to decide exactly how they’ll make their next move. Smith had previously targeted for a unification fight with Artur Beterbiev but Hearn’s offer clearly is giving them something else to consider, with DeGuardia acknowledging that Smith vs Jacobs would be a bigger event in New York.
Connolly says he has no network barriers for Jacobs and are happy to fight on ESPN if need be, adding that he’s hoping to finalize a deal within the next several weeks if he can manage it.