Demetrius Andrade has his eyes set on big-money fights against any of the other top middleweights like Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin. But alas Andrade will have to pass the test of Maciej Sulecki first, before moving on to bigger things. Sulecki isn’t a household name, but he knows that a win against Andrade will earn him the respect he’s been yearning for. Expect a “nothing to lose” fight from Sulecki’s corner which can be extremely dangerous and potentially profitable for those who bet accordingly.
Undefeated WBO middleweight champion Andrade is looking to expand his blemish-free record when he makes his second title defense on Jun. 29. It could be remembered that Andrade got his hands on the belt when he scored a unanimous decision win over Walter Kautondokwa last October for the then-vacant WBO middleweight championship. After that, Andrade defeated Artur Akavov at Madison Square Garden last January for his first successful defense. Andrade pummelled Akavov in the final round so much that the referee felt the bout needed to be stopped. Ranked fifth among all middleweights by The Ring magazine, Andrade is a sleek fighter with crisp power in his hands. He’s also a pretty durable fighter, who appears to have the cardio to go the full length of a championship fight when needed. Three of his last four fights went to the judges’ scorecards, including his split decision win over Jack Culcay for the WBA super welterweight title. Look for Andrade to use his significant five-inch reach advantage to strike and keep Sulecki at bay.
Sulecki has been making some smack talk heading into his date with Andrade. Whether that’s due to his overflowing confidence or need to market the fight more, one thing is for sure: Sulecki is in for a fight. The Polish national last saw action in March, when he went toe to toe in an entertaining and thrilling slugfest with Gabriel Rosado, earning a unanimous decision in the process. That win also gave him the rights to wear the WBO international middleweight title belt, and, of course, a shot at Andrade. Sulecki only has one loss so far in his career, and that was against a very formidable opponent in Daniel Jacobs last year. It was a lopsided match, with Jacobs taking home a unanimous victory, but Sulecki has been on the record saying that Jacobs is a better boxer than Andrade. Sulecki lasted 12 rounds with Jacobs, which speaks a lot about his chin, as the latter is known for his punching power. Andrade is, too, but Sulecki’s proven ability to handle his opponent’s power can throw Andrade off, especially in the middle rounds.
