DANIEL JACOBS DOMINATES LUIS ARIAS FOR UNANIMOUS DECISION AT NYCB LIVE
Daniel Jacobs left no doubt when he returned to the ring at NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in the second BROOKLYN BOXING On Long Island fight card at the Coliseum.
The former middleweight world champion outclassed Luis Arias from start to finish in a 12-round unanimous decision with one-sided results on all three judges’ cards.
After his narrow loss to unified middleweight titleholder Gennady Golovkin eight months earlier, Jacobs had called this fight the start of a new chapter in his career.
“Life is blissful right now,” said Jacobs in the ring after the decision was announced. “I’m living my dreams. All I want to do is impress the fans. All I want to do is be the people’s champion. I have the opportunity to do that.”
Jacobs broke through to connect on some strong shots early and conceded he began thinking about a quick knockout after that, but he remained in control throughout, thoroughly dictating the fight right through the end, including an 11th-round knockdown.
With Billy Joe Saunders putting his WBO middleweight title on the line in December against David Lemieux and Golovkin headed toward a 2018 rematch with Saul Alvarez, Jacobs is looking forward to big matchups in 2018 and reclaiming a middleweight championship.
“I’m looking forward to see whoever wants to step up,” said Jacobs after improving to 33-2 with 29 knockouts.
Jarrell Miller stayed unbeaten with a bid to move up the ladder of heavyweight title contenders with a ninth-round TKO of Marusz Wach. The Brooklyn native improved to 20-0-1 with 18 knockouts after steadily battering the former world championship contender.
Long Island’s Cletus Seldin had Roberto Ortiz on the mat twice in the first round and bloodied soon after on the way to a third-round TKO.
“I could have took him out a little bit earlier, but I was showing my determination and I kept coming trying to land that big shot, and I could do it with either hand, so I was trying to set it up, but I got him out of there,” said Seldin. “You could see how rough and tough and old-school style that I fight. You gotta be in great shape to take me down.”
The rugged super lightweight improved to 21-0. He opened a cut over Ortiz’s left eye with one of his sledgehammer rights and the fight was stopped in the third round as Ortiz continued to bleed.
“You could see what happens just going three or four rounds with me,” said Seldin. “I am a wrecking machine from Long Island.”
Conor Benn, son of former middleweight and super middleweight champion Nigel Benn, knocked out Brandon Sanudo in the second round of their welterweight bout. Two more Long Island fighters took the ring, with Tyrone James registering a unanimous decision over Daniel Sostre and Tommy Rainone fighting to a draw with Geroge Sosa. NYPD officer Dimash Niyazov remained undefeated with a fifth-round TKO of Agustine Mauras.