Daniel Jacobs Joins Showtime Crew For Hopkins vs. Shumenov

Middleweight contender Daniel Jacobs is trading in his gloves for a microphone, at least for one night.

The inspirational cancer survivor will serve as guest analyst for this Saturday’s Showtime Championship Boxing telecast live on Showtime at 9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast, from the DC Armory in Washington, D.C.

Jacobs will step in for critically acclaimed analyst Paulie Malignaggi, who will challenge IBF Welterweight Champion Shawn Porter in the co-feature of the world championship tripleheader.

“It’s an honor to have this opportunity on such a historic boxing event,” Jacobs said. “I’m excited to be the guy on the outside that will provide the viewers with the type of insight only a fighter can provide.

“I also look forward to the opportunity to see the sport in a different perspective and gain more of an appreciation for the craft.

“I know I’ll be in good hands alongside Al Bernstein, Mauro Ranallo and the rest of the Showtime crew giving the viewers and fans a great night of boxing.”

In the main event, IBF Light Heavyweight Champion Bernard Hopkins will face WBA Champ Beibut Shumenov in a highly anticipated world championship unification while WBO Middleweight Champ Peter Quillin will risk his title against Lukas Konecny in the opening bout of the telecast.

Saturday’s telecast will air live immediately following the premiere of Episode 1 of All Access: Mayweather vs. Maidana, the most recent installment of the Emmy Award-nominated Showtime Sports series that chronicles the dramatic and often unpredictable lives of the world’s best prizefighters.

The 27-year-old Jacobs (27-1, 24 KOs), of Brooklyn, N.Y., is coming off a first-round TKO of Milton Nunez on March 15 on the Showtime Extreme undercard of the Danny Garcia vs. Mauricio Herrera event in Puerto Rico.

The victory was Jacob’s fifth straight win in as many fights since returning to the ring after a courageous 19-month battle against cancer and partial paralysis.

The 6-foot-1 Jacobs, who is the fifth ranked middleweight contender by the IBF and sixth by the WBC, WBA and WBO, has won seven in a row by knockout.

Hopkins vs. Shumenov, a 12-round fight for the IBF, WBA and IBA Light Heavyweight Championship, will take place Saturday, April 19 at the DC Armory in Washington, D.C. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T and Casamigos Tequila.

In the 12-round co-features, Shawn Porter defends his IBF Welterweight Title against Paulie Malignaggi and Peter Quillin puts his WBO Middleweight Title on the line against Lukas Konecny.

The live Showtime Championship Boxing telecast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast, immediately following All Access: Mayweather vs. Maidana. The telecast will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will air on Showtime Extreme at 7 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast.

Tickets priced at $25, $50, $75, $200 and $300, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, are on sale now and available online at http://www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling (800) 745-3000. The DC Armory Box Office will be open on fight night only from 3 p.m.-10 p.m. ET.