On June 29, 2019 in Providence, Rhode Island, WBO Middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade (27-0, 17 KOs) will get his chance to showcase his skills in front of his hometown crowd. His opponent will be former title challenger Maciej Sulecki (28-1, 11 KOs).
The fight card, which also includes Heavyweight contender Joseph Parker taking on Alex Leapai and Khalid Yafai battling Norbelto Jimenez, will stream live on DAZN beginning at 7:00 pm, ET.
Since coming up short in his 2018 bid to win a world title against Daniel Jacobs, Sulecki has won two straight fights. In his last contest, he had to pick himself up off the deck twice to defeat Gabriel Rosado.
Many believe that Andrade will prove to be a much stiffer test for Sulecki when compared to Jacobs. It isn’t far fetched to see why.
As a two-weight world champion, Andrade has the skills to compete with anyone in the world. The issue isn’t his skill, rather it’s been his ability to secure big fights. This is a contest that neither man can afford to lose.
For Andrade, there have been whispers that a victory will ultimately lead him to the one name he has been chasing the most–Canelo Alvarez.
The WBO titleholder wants to stake his claim as the best Middleweight in the world and a win against Sulecki will bring him one step closer to proving just that.
As for Sulecki, a bout against Canelo is possible as well with a victory of his own. More importantly, the ability to call himself a world champion is just one win away.
The Rhode Island born Andrade will have several advantages come fight night. For one, he possesses a five-and-a-half reach advantage.
Secondly, he will have a big edge in terms of power. Andrade is not a power puncher by any stretch of the imagination, but he does have respectable power.
Lastly, Andrade will have the support of his hometown crowd behind him.
It will be difficult for Sulecki to find his own path to victory, but not impossible. His best bet might come in the form of making it an ugly affair.
That could certainly take Andrade out of his comfort zone. The WBO champ has also been hurt on several occasions. An aggressive game plan out of the gate could lead Sulecki to his first world title.
Staying on the outside however, would lead to a long and painful night.
With so much on the line for both men, nothing less than their very best will be expected.
Andrade vs. Sulecki Weigh-In Video
