Daniel Jacobs on showdown vs. Gennady Golovkin: 'I’m scared of no man, I fear nothing'

It's being touted as the two top middleweights in the world facing off to unify the titles and decide the true champion of one of boxing's most glamorous divisions.

The March 18 "Middleweight Madness" showdown between champions Gennady Golovkin and Daniel Jacobs at the mecca of boxing, New York's Madison Square Garden, is that and much more.

It's two big hitters who knock out 90% of their opponents and who are highly skilled boxers as well. Golovkin (36-0, 33 KOs) comes in with 23 consecutive KOs, Jacobs (32-1, 29 KOs) with 12. Golovkin and Jacobs are 1-2 in USA TODAY Sports/Boxing Junkie's middleweight rankings, and Golovkin is our No. 2-ranked pound-for-pound fighter.

And, coming off Kovalev-Ward and Thurman-Porter in 2016, it's a positive sign that boxing, a sport that once regularly pitted the best against the best, often multiple times, may be returning to those halcyon days out of a growing, some say desperate, need to bring more eyes and hence, more dollars, to the sport.

Both fighters are well aware of what this fight, to be televised live on HBO pay-per-view (9 p.m. ET) means for boxing.

"I have a great deal of respect for Daniel and a great deal of respect for this sport and that's why it's important for me and for everyone to find out who is No. 1 in the middleweight division," Golovkin said. "Right now my position and Danny's position is to find out who is No. 1."

The fighters finished up a two-city press tour on Wednesday in Los Angeles, after being in New York earlier in the week.

"I haven't come this far to give up," said Jacobs, nicknamed "The Miracle Man" after he survived a cancer known as osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, in 2011 that temporarily paralyzed him and forced him out of the sport for 19 months. "I'm scared of no man, I fear nothing. My back has been against the wall so many times and I've accepted that this is no different. It's a tough challenge but one I look forward to."

Jacobs, 29, who was born and raised and still resides in Brooklyn, will be fighting in his hometown for the ninth time, and fourth at the Garden.

"I'm privileged to face the best," Jacobs said. "Nine times out of ten, guys don't take on the toughest challenges, they milk the game in a sense as much as they can.

"This fight has the material to be one of the best fights in a very long time . . . a can't miss fight. Two guys, two dedicated knockout punchers. You can't get any better than this."

The fight was mandated by the WBA, as both fighters hold a version of that organization's belt. Jacobs holds the regular title belt, and Golovkin holds the Super version. Golovkin also holds the IBF and WBC the lesser IBO strap. The other major middleweight belt, the WBO, is held by the U.K.'s Billy Joe Saunders.

"This is really two champions fighting each other," said K2 managing director Tom Loeffler, who promotes the 34-year-old Golovkin. "There's no question these are the two best fighters in their division and that's what the fans respond to. There's not going to be any tables thrown (see: Chisora-Whyte), both fighters are great ambassadors for the sport of boxing, this is clearly how the sport should be conducted. Both are confident in their abilities. The teams as well have a tremendous amount of respect for each other."

The matchup also features two of the top trainers in the sport, Abel Sanchez, USAT Sports/Boxing Junkie's 2016 trainer of the year, who coaches Golovkin, and Jacobs' longtime coach Andre Rozier, who stuck by his fighter and helped him back from cancer when doctors told Jacobs he would never fight again.

"A lot of people don't know Danny Jacobs, he's a gentleman out of the ring and when that first bell rings he becomes a monster," said Rozier. "I know that this fight will put Danny in the history books. I've known him since he 14 years old and he's never, ever disappointed me and I don't expect him to disappoint me on March 18.

"Give both these fighters all the credit in the world for taking this fight. These guys are putting it all on the line and they deserve the respect."

(Photo of Golovkin, left, and Jacobs by Tom Hogan, K2 Promotions)