Demetrius Andrade keeps missing out

Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade (29-0, 18KOs) continues to miss out on fights that could catapult him into being one of boxing’s major stars.

Andrade presents a stylistic nightmare for opponents, which is the reason for him not getting the big opportunities. He is a tricky southpaw with decent power who is hard to catch and time. His height (6’0’’) and reach (73.5 in.) also pose trouble for opponents.

The risk of losing to a fighter like Andrade, who the casual sports fan knows little-to-nothing about, is not worth the risk of defeat. Since turning professional in 2008, he has continually beaten overmatched opponents and has struggled to land a notable fight.

At light-middleweight, despite being a world title holder, he never had a chance of facing either Jermell (34-1, 18KOs) or Jermall Charlo (31-0, 22KOs). Negotiations with Jermell fell through on multiple occasions for a potential fight, and Jermall moved up to middleweight after an impressive KO victory over Julian Williams in December of 2016.

One of boxing’s biggest stars, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (54-1-2, 36KOs), was at 154 for several years while Andrade was a belt holder, but Andrade never had a crack at facing “Canelo” either. Andrade then moved up to middleweight with the expectation that he could eventually get a marquee fight in a more star-studded division. Signing to DAZN made it possible to land a bout against Canelo, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (41-1-1, 36KOs), or Billy Joe Saunders (30-0, 14KOs) on the DAZN platform.

Billy Joe Saunders vs. Demetrius Andrade was set for October 20, 2018 for the WBO Middleweight World Title, but the fight fell through when Saunders tested positive for the banned substance oxilofrine, known as a stimulant. J

Just as Andrade was finally going to get his chance to prove to boxing fans that he is an elite fighter, another year went by that left fans wondering how good Andrade really is. The eye test can only minimally evaluate a fighter, as fighters need to face the best to show that they belong at the top.

Once again, Andrade’s career trajectory is in limbo. He is the current WBO Middleweight World Champion and is due to face mandatory challenger Liam Williams (23-2-1, 18KOs) from the United Kingdom. It appears that Andrade will either wait to see if he can face Saunders for his WBO Super Middleweight World Title, or he will fulfill his mandatory against Liam Williams.

For Andrade, defeating Williams will not advance his career, and such a win would be expected, while beating Saunders would show that he is the real deal and a candidate to challenge Canelo.

Andrade can either remain at 160 in hopes of unifying titles at middleweight against Gennady Golovkin, or he can move up to 168 and face Saunders with the idea that defeating him can lead to an eventual match versus Canelo. If Andrade continues winning, he will eventually earn a career-defining opportunity, but the question is how long he will be left out. Since turning professional in 2008, he has beaten every opponent in front of him, but has not faced a premier fighter or been in a memorable fight.

If Canelo were to beat Andrade, fans would likely not think any higher of Canelo due to Andrade lacking an impressive resume. However, a match versus Andrade may be worth the risk for “GGG.”

If GGG were to beat Andrade, many would find the win to be another notable victory in a hall-of-fame career, and Golovkin would get credit for beating a quality opponent at his advanced age. Without a doubt, it is time for Andrade to fight a big name.