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Demetrius Andrade on facing Canelo: The best needs to fight the best

Demetrius Andrade
Fighters Network
07
May

ARLINGTON, Texas — The winner of Canelo Alvarez vs. Billy Joe Saunders on Saturday could be in for a surprise from Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade.

The undefeated WBO middleweight titleholder was in attendance at Friday’s weigh-in, at AT&T Plaza outside AT&T Stadium, in Arlington, where Alvarez and Saunders are scheduled for 12 rounds of pugilistic beauty.

The 33-year-old southpaw has called out Alvarez since 2015 but despite a deal nearly getting finalized in late 2019, nothing has come close to fruition since.

Earlier this week, Canelo went on record and downplayed Andrade’s resume.



“He’s fought nobody yet. You see the record but he’s fighting with nobody. I have other plans,” he told BoxingScene.

And this isn’t the first time Alvarez has dismissed Andrade. During a conference call to promote his light heavyweight title fight with Sergey Kovalev in 2019, the 30-year-old three-division world champion described Andrade as “very boring.”

So what exactly does Andrade have to do to generate some excitement? Hardcore fans of the sport likely know he has called for this fight since the pair reigned as junior middleweight titlists. We talked to Andrade about the possibility of him entering the ring after Canelo-Saunders to face off against the winner.

“I may just have to,” he admitted. “I have to work my way in there somehow.”

Andrade (30-0, 18 KOs) won his first title in November 2013 when he recovered from a first round knockdown to win a split decision over Vanes Martirosyan, claiming the vacant WBO junior middleweight title in the process. He made a single defense of the belt before being stripped due to inactivity, in large part because he rejected what would have been a career-high $550,000 purse to face then-rising contender Jermell Charlo.

As a middleweight, Andrade is 6-0 (2 KOs) but has yet to face a serious threat. Albeit the unfortunate circumstances, he believes his shot to prove himself is coming soon.

“The window for the elite fighters is closing and everybody is beating everybody, so the best needs to fight the best. That’s it,” he told The Ring. “That’s what it’s going to take – the best actually stepping up and saying, ‘Yeah, let’s fight.’

“I don’t want to fight anyone else. Nobody cares about anybody else but the names that we all know.”

When asked for his prediction for Canelo-Saunders, the champion kept it short.

“May the best man win.”

 

 

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