By Keith Idec
NEW YORK – Maciej Sulecki stood in the same room Tuesday where Luis Arias began trashing Daniel Jacobs a few months ago.
That, according to Sulecki, is the only thing those two middleweights have in common. The undefeated contender from Poland promised to do his talking in the ring, where he intends to test Jacobs the way Arias assured everyone he would, only to lose a one-sided decision November 11.
The April 28 card featuring the 12-round middleweight match between Brooklyn’s Jacobs (33-2, 29 KOs) and Warsaw’s Sulecki (26-0, 10 KOs) was officially announced Tuesday during a press conference in Manhattan.
“Danny Jacobs’ last opponent, Luis Arias, is a clown,” Sulecki said before the press conference. “He talked, talked, talked at the press conference, and did not fight in the ring. I’m not Arias. I’m a big, real warrior, and for Daniel Jacobs this will be a very, very, very hard fight.”
HBO will televise Jacobs-Sulecki from Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, in addition to a heavyweight fight that’ll pit Brooklyn’s Jarrell Miller (20-0-1, 18 KOs) against France’s Johann Duhaupas (37-4, 24 KOs).
Jacobs soundly defeated Milwaukee’s Arias (18-1, 9 KOs) in a fight HBO broadcast three months ago from Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. Arias was reluctant to engage during that 12-round bout and contended following his loss that a bloody blister on the sole of his right foot prevented him from competing to his capabilities.
Sulecki, 28, was impressed with how Jacobs boxed against Gennady Golovkin, who beat Jacobs by unanimous decision in their 12-round middleweight title fight last March 18 at Madison Square Garden. He expected more from Jacobs against Arias, though.
“I think that Daniel Jacobs was the best in his career in the fight with Gennady Golovkin,” Sulecki said. “This was a very good fight. But his last fight with Arias, it wasn’t a good fight. Arias was only a clown. He only talked, talked, talked, and he didn’t fight. I’m very surprised he didn’t KO [Arias].”
The little-known Sulecki quickly accepted a shot at Jacobs once Eddie Hearn, Jacobs’ promoter, couldn’t come to an agreement with Golden Boy Promotions that would’ve allowed Ireland’s Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan (27-2, 19 KOs) to battle Jacobs.
“He’s very strong,” Sulecki said about Jacobs. “He’s fast. He lost a very good fight with Gennady Golovkin. But I know that I will win this fight. I’m very determined. I know why I’m here and I’m ready. You don’t know who I am, but after April 28th, you will know who I am.”
Sulecki’s most noteworthy win to date came against then-unbeaten Hugo Centeno Jr. (26-1, 16 KOs, 1 NC), who Sulecki stopped in the 10th round of a middleweight match in June 2016. Centeno, of Oxnard, California, will face Houston’s Jermall Charlo (26-0, 20 KOs) for the WBC interim middleweight title March 3 at Barclays Center (Showtime).
Sulecki expects to completely change his career by upsetting Jacobs.
“This will be a big war,” Sulecki said. “I promise. I’m not a clown like Luis Arias. I’m a real Polish warrior.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
