DiBella: Jacobs Faster, Slicker; Quillin’s ‘A Monster’

By Keith Idec

NEW YORK – Lou DiBella understands why the odds are so close for the Daniel Jacobs-Peter Quillin fight.

DiBella, the official promoter of the card headlined by their middleweight title fight, is very familiar with both boxers and can envision scenarios in which Jacobs (30-1, 27 KOs) and Quillin (32-0-1, 23 KOs) will win it. The 32-year-old Quillin is listed as a minus-155 favorite by several Internet sports books over the 28-year-old Jacobs, who’ll defend his WBA “regular” middleweight championship.

“The winner of this fight is almost an immediate superstar, particularly since I can’t envision a scenario where this isn’t an exciting fight,” DiBella said during a news conference Thursday in Manhattan. “As a fan, I’m excited about this fight. It’s one I’ve been waiting for for a long time. People have asked me, ‘Well, who do you like [to win]?’ I like both of them. That’s the truth.

“Frankly, both of them can win. They bring some different things to the table. Danny, I think is maybe a little bit faster, a little bit slicker, might be technically a little bit stronger. Peter’s a monster – a huge middleweight, a hard puncher who can also box. He knocks people out with regularity. This is a scary fight for both guys, but I think they’re both supremely confident.”

Showtime will broadcast Jacobs-Quillin as the main event of a doubleheader set to start at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. In the opener, WBA featherweight champ Jesus Cuellar (27-1, 21 KOs), a powerful southpaw from Argentina, will defend his 126-pound championship against Puerto Rico’s Jonathan Oquendo (26-4, 16 KOs) in a 12-rounder.

Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, N.J., and BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.