DANIEL JACOBS IN LINE TO FIGHT CANELO ALVAREZ ON MAY 4 IF HE GETS PAST SERGEY DEREVYANCHENKO

Now that Canelo Alvarez is fighting exclusively on DAZN, talks can begin in earnest ahead of his next major fight.

First, the Mexican star will move up to super middleweight for what amounts to a stay-busy fight against Rocky Fielding on December 15 at New York’s Madison Square Garden. It’s a quick turnaround for Alvarez, who just went 12 grueling rounds in his victory over Gennady Golovkin in September.

Before Alvarez (50-1-2, 34 knockouts) meets the heavy underdog from England, he could have his next marquee fight lined up. Daniel Jacobs meets Sergey Derevyanchenko with a vacant middleweight title up for grabs on October 27 in New York. If Jacobs wins, his promoter Eddie Hearn (also aligned with DAZN) believes his fighter is the front-runner to fight Canelo on May 4.

“Obviously, we’re all in the same boat,” Hearn told BoxingScene.com. “We’re all on the same platform, so I think that there’s an excellent chance that if Danny Jacobs can win the world title next Saturday that he will go on to fight Canelo in May. … That’s the carrot for Danny Jacobs.”

Jacobs-Derevyanchenko will be televised on HBO, which is ditching boxing programming at the end of the year. Besides, it’s the final fight of the three-bout deal Jacobs signed last year. The Brooklynite will be a network free agent, but he’s widely expected to compete on DAZN since Hearn has an output deal with the platform that calls for 16 U.S.-based shows per year.

Alvarez, The Ring’s middleweight champion, signed a deal with DAZN on Wednesday that will guarantee $35 million per fight over a 10-bout deal. And if Jacobs can turn back Derevyanchenko, talks are expected shortly afterward between Hearn and Golden Boy Promotions toward a May 4 bout on DAZN, a source told The Ring. Hearn already has chatted with DAZN about the potential bout, and there’s plenty of interest.

In fact, Jacobs (34-2, 29 KOs) was under consideration to fight Alvarez in September. When talks stalled between Alvarez and GGG, De La Hoya engaged in discussions with Hearn for Jacobs to step in on September 16. Ultimately, Alvarez edged Golovkin via majority decision, and Jacobs began preparing for the bout with Derevyanchenko, a fighter he’s well-acquainted with.

After all, Jacobs and Derevyanchenko are both advised by Keith Connolly, and before this camp they shared the same manager: Andre Rozier. Rozier is sticking with Jacobs for this camp, and Gary Stark Sr. has taken over head trainer duties for Derevyanchenko in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Jacobs already fought GGG and dropped a decision in a fight many media members felt could have went to either man on the scorecards. If he tops Derevyanchenko, Jacobs could once again earn a crack at a marquee, high-stakes showdown.