British promoter extraordinaire Eddie Hearn is breaking new ground this Saturday night as he is promoting a show at New York’s Nassau Coliseum that sees the main event air on HBO.
Jacobs is looking to bounce back from the second loss of his career in his last outing when he lost by unanimous decision to Gennady Golovkin. Golovkin is the acknowledged king of the middleweight division but Jacobs did not do himself any harm in that fight, which some thought he may have won. Jacobs foes by the nickname “The Miracle Man” because of he overcame cancer earlier in his career but he is still looking to break into the elite, big-money the sport has to offer. He signed with Eddie Hearn and received a bonus from HBO and he will now have to deliver in the ring. A few years back he waxed rival Peter Quillin in the first round of their grudge match, but he didn’t really do much after that signature performance. Coming off the Golovkin loss he has the respect on the business end, now he needs to deliver a big win to be mentioned in the same breath as Jermall Charlo, Gennady Golovkin, Saul Alvarez and other elite middleweights.
All of this casts Arias firmly in the role of spoiler, but that suits the 27 year old out of Milwaukee just fine. Arias has gone 19-0 as a pro and he is 2-0 thus far in 2017. His last win was his best win yet, as he stopped rugged Arif Magomedov in the fifth round to defend his United States title. Jacobs is a big jump in the talent of his opposition, but Arias classifies as a “hungry” fighter who feels he has something to prove against Jacobs.
The co-feature spot comes in the heavyweight division as undefeated Jerrell Miller steps up to face veteran European slugger Marius Wach. Wach is 32-2 overall with his only career losses coming to Wladimir Klitschko and Alexander Povetkin, so he is far more experienced than Miller. Wach is also nearly 6’8 inches tall as well, so he is used to being the physical “A” side against most opponents. That will not be the case against the gigantic Miller, who will come in at an athletic 300 pounds for this bout. At 37 years old, Wach may be slowing down a bit and that is going to mean that Miller is going to be able to hit him. Wach is sturdy, so if Miller can create the early stoppage here it will send a message that he is ready for the next level.
Check back later in the week to see if additional lines are added. Hearn has also reserved a spot on the undercard for young Conor Benn, the son of former middleweight world champion Nigel “The Dark Destroyer” Benn and several other bouts may get lines as we get further into fight week.
Nassau Coliseum – Uniondale, New York – HBO
Middleweight 12 rounds –
Luis Arias +525
Daniel Jacobs -975
Heavyweight 10 rounds –
Mariusz Wach +1100
Jarrell Miller -2000
