DEMETRIUS ANDRADE V MACIEJ SULECKI: HOMECOMINGS IN RHODE ISLAND

Demetrius Andrade returns home to Providence on Saturday night, as he makes the second defence of his WBO middleweight title against Poland’s Maciej Sulecki.

Andrade (27-0-0) is a two-weight world champion, having previously held the WBA and WBO super-welterweight titles, and boasts both speed and a two-and-half inch reach advantage over his opponent.

Sulecki (28-1-0) enters the fight on a two-fight winning streak having defeated Gabriel Rosado in March via a unanimous decision to win the vacant WBO International middleweight title, but this is his first opportunity to fight for any denomination of the full versions. His only career loss was a unanimous points defeat to Daniel Jacobs (35-3-0) in April 2018, and it is the difference in apparent calibre of opponents both men have faced where Sulecki sees his advantage:

“Daniel Jacobs was much better than Andrade. Andrade is one of the weakest middleweights out there in my eyes. I know he’s a great fighter, but he hasn’t fought anybody.”

Indeed. Andrade was scheduled to face Billy Joe Saunders for the WBO middleweight title before the latter unfortunately tested positive for banned stimulant oxilofrine; and whilst this is only his fourth fight at middleweight, his title fight record boasts victories against relative unknowns Vanes Martirosyan, Brian Rose, Dario Rucheta, Jack Culcay, Walter Kautondokwa and Artur Akavov. A win against Sulecki would therefore certainly enhance his credentials and bolster his record.

Both fighters have moved up from super welterweight (this is also only Sulecki’s fourth fight at middleweight) with it still being too early to discern whether either carries an enhanced power advantage. Andrade does, however, still have the superior speed, defensive skill, footwork and movement; elemental facets which this writer believes will subsequently see him reign victorious and move to 28-0 on Saturday night…by UD, if any money is to be waged...

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