Demetrius Cesar Andrade ( ; born February 26, 1988) is an American
professional boxer
Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional bouts are supervised by a regulatory autho ...
. He has held multiple world championships in two
weight classes
Weight classes are divisions of competition used to match competitors against others of their own size. Weight classes are used in a variety of sports, especially combat sports (such as boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts and wrestling). Altern ...
, including the WBO
light middleweight
Light middleweight, also known as junior middleweight or super welterweight,PeBoxRec/ref> is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing
The light middleweight division (also known as junior middleweight in the IBF or super welterweight in the WBA an ...
title between 2013-2015, the
WBA (Regular)
The World Boxing Association (WBA), formerly known as the National Boxing Association (NBA), is the oldest and one of four major organizations which sanction professional boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Council (WBC), International Boxi ...
title in 2017, and the WBO
middleweight
Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing Professional
In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to .
Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have be ...
title from 2018 to 2022. As an
amateur
An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidacticism, self-taught, user-generated, do it yourself, DI ...
he won the
U.S. national championships and
Golden Gloves
The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States, where they are awarded a belt and a ring. And the title of nations champion is awarded. The Golden Gloves is a term used to refer to the Nation ...
twice each, a gold medal at the
2007 World Championships, and represented the U.S. at the
2008 Olympics; all in the
welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify the ...
division.
As of April 2021, Andrade is ranked as the world's third best active middleweight by ''
The Ring'' magazine and the
Transnational Boxing Rankings Board
The Transnational Boxing Rankings Board (TBRB) is an all-volunteer initiative formed in October 2012 with the intention of providing professional boxing with authoritative top-ten rankings, identifying the singular world champion of every divisio ...
, and fourth by
BoxRec
BoxRec or boxrec.com is a website dedicated to holding updated records of professional and amateur boxers, both male and female. It also maintains a MediaWiki-based encyclopaedia of boxing.
The objective of the site is to document every profess ...
.
Amateur career
Demetrius Andrade obtained arguably the most successful amateur boxing reputation amongst all Rhode Island fighters in history. A Providence native of
Cape Verdean descent,
southpaw Andrade began boxing in 1994 at the age of 6. His nickname "Boo Boo" quickly became well known amongst the locals and he later became a recognized name across the United States.
Andrade won the
United States Amateur Boxing Championship in 2005, and repeated it in 2006 when he also won the
National Golden Gloves
The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States, where they are awarded a belt and a ring. And the title of nations champion is awarded. The Golden Gloves is a term used to refer to the Nationa ...
. He again won the National Golden Gloves in 2007, but did not compete in the U.S. Amateurs that year due to injury.
Andrade initially struggled at the international level, losing to
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russ ...
opponents at the World Cup in 2005 and 2006. However, he won the silver medal at the 2007
Pan American Games
The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is held ...
in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
, losing in the gold medal match to
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
ian hometown favorite
Pedro Lima by a narrow 7-6 margin.
He won gold at the
2007 World Amateur Boxing Championships, where he beat
Kakhaber Zhvania
Kakhaber Zhvania is an amateur boxer from Georgia best known to qualify for the Olympics at welterweight.
At the Euro 2006 he won Bronze losing his semi to Spas Genov, at the 2007 World Championsahips he was defeated by eventual winner De ...
, Dmitrijs Sostaks, 2005 silver medalist
Magomed Nurutdinov
Magomed Nurutdinov/Mahamed Nurudzinau (born February 5, 1982) is a Belarusian amateur boxer who boxed at the Olympics 2008 at welterweight and later became European champion.
At the 2005 World Championships he beat Konstantin Buga, A ...
, future champion
Jack Culcay-Keth, and
Adem Kılıççı
Adem ( ota, آدم, ) corresponding to Adam (see also Adam in Islam), is a masculine given name common in Turkey and Bosnia.
Given name
* Adem Alkaşi (born 1984), Turkish footballer
*Adem Asil (born 1999), Turkish gymnast
*Adem Bereket (b ...
in the semifinal round. He beat
Non Boonjumnong
Non Boonjumnong ( th, นน บุญจำนงค์; , born June 12, 1982 as Manon Boonjumnong) is a Thai amateur boxer who won silver at welterweight at the World Championships 2007. In the older tournaments he is listed as "Manon".
Career ...
of
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
in the finals, a match in which Andrade inflicted a
standing eight count upon Boonjumnong and was leading by a score of 11-3 in the second round when Boonjumnong retired with an injury to his right arm.
Andrade attempted one last amateur endeavor before deciding to become professional. At the Olympic trials he defeated hard-punching
Keith Thurman
Keith Fitzgerald Thurman Jr. (born November 23, 1988) is an American professional boxer. He is a former unified welterweight world champion, having held the WBA title from 2015 to 2019 (promoted to Super champion in 2017), and the WBC title fr ...
27:13 In 2008, Demetrius Andrade was honored with the satisfaction of representing the USA in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and he became known as one of the favorites to win a gold medal. He overcame
Kakhaber Zhvania
Kakhaber Zhvania is an amateur boxer from Georgia best known to qualify for the Olympics at welterweight.
At the Euro 2006 he won Bronze losing his semi to Spas Genov, at the 2007 World Championsahips he was defeated by eventual winner De ...
and the highly regarded Russian
Andrey Balanov
Andrey Vladimirovich Balanov (russian: Андрей Владимирович Баланов) (born April 27, 1976 in Podolsk) is a former Russian boxer best known for winning the 2006 European Amateur Boxing Championships at welterweight, ...
14:3 to advance to the quarterfinals but he was shocked by Korean veteran
Kim Jung-Joo 9:11 (
Olympic results) in a controversial loss. Though unable to win an Olympic Gold Medal that year, Andrade decided to end his exceptional amateur campaign and become a professional.
Professional career
Light middleweight
Early career
Demetrius Andrade became a professional boxer and had his first pro fight in October 2008.
He defeated Patrick Cape at
Northern Quest Casino,
Airway Heights
Airway Heights is a city in Spokane County, Washington, United States, just west of Spokane. The population was 10,757 at the 2020 census. The city's name was taken from its close proximity to the runways at Fairchild Air Force Base and Spokane ...
,
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
in a second-round knockout. He went on to win a TKO over Eric Marriott before making his Friday Night Fights debut against Tom Joseph on March 6 with a 1st-round TKO victory. Only 2 weeks later, Demetrius beat Arnulfo Javier Romero in a second-round KO. On June 19, 2009 he won in a unanimous decision against Tony Hirsch and followed up with another KO against Chad Greenleaf in the second round.
Andrade went on to defeat John Williams by TKO in the 6th round, and Chris Chatman by unanimous decision. Andrade’s record jumped to an impressive 9-0 record after demolishing Italian boxer Bernardo Guereca, with a 1st-round KO. Demetrius defeated his next ten opponents, including five fights ending by KO and the others ending by unanimous decision.
Andrade vs. Martirosyan
An opportunity arose in the Summer of 2013 when the vacant
WBO light middleweight title would be decided by one match between Andrade and Armenian contender
Vanes Martirosyan
Vanes Martirosyan ( hy, Վանես Մարտիրոսյան; born May 1, 1986) is a former Armenian-born American professional boxer from 2005 to 2019. He has challenged twice for a light middleweight world title in 2013 and 2016, and once for ...
(33-0-1, 21 KOs). Andrade was scheduled to fight titlist
Zaurbek Baysangurov
Zaurbek Musaevich Baysangurov (born 2 March 1985) is a Russian former professional boxer who competed from 2004 to 2014. He is a former WBO and IBO light middleweight champion, having held the IBO title twice between 2010–2015 and the WBO tit ...
on July 6 in
Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
, Ukraine. Baysangurov was stripped after suffering a back injury and being sidelined for an extended period of time. The fight took place on November 9, 2013, at the
American Bank Center
The American Bank Center is an entertainment complex located in Corpus Christi, Texas. The complex consists of an auditorium, convention center and arena. The facility hosts numerous conventions, trade shows, exhibitions, live performances and sp ...
in Texas. The fight was originally scheduled to take place on September 7 at the
Staples Center in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. Andrade defeated Martirosyan via split decision with scores of 114–113, 117–110 and 112–115 to win the vacant WBO title. Andrade was knocked down in the first round from a left hook by Martirosyan after dominating the entire round. Andrade used his jab and quickness to control the majority of the fight.
Andrade vs. Rose
On March 20, 2014 it was confirmed that British boxer and
mandatory challenger Brian Rose (25-1-1, 7 KO) would be the first defence of Andrade's world title reign. The fight would take place on June 14 at the
Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Andrade dominated Rose, a British native via 7th-round TKO. Andrade was ahead on all scorecards (60-51 & 60-52 twice) at the time of stoppage. Rose was dropped hard by straight left hand from Andrade in the first round. In round 3, Andrade connected with a counter right hook, which put Rose on the canvas a second time. Referee Michael Griffin stepped in to put an end to the one-sided beatdown in round 7. Compubox showed Andrade landed 149 of 452 total punches (33%), while Rose connected on a minor 30 of 179 total punches (17%). The fight advanced Andrade to an outstanding 21-0 with 14 knockouts. Andrade put in a dominant performance to claim his place as a top champion in order to lure a future fight with the division best including
Canelo Álvarez
Santos Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez Barragán (; born 18 July 1990) is a Mexican professional boxer. He has won multiple world championships in four weight classes from light middleweight to light heavyweight, including unified titles in three of ...
and
Floyd Mayweather
Floyd may refer to:
As a name
* Floyd (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Floyd (surname), a list of people and fictional characters
Places in the United States
* Floyd, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Floyd, I ...
. For the fight, Andrade earned $200,000 compared to Rose, who earned a $100,000 purse. The fight averaged 882,000 viewers on HBO.
Andrade vs. Charlo negotiations
Andrade was scheduled to fight
Jermell Charlo
Jermell DeAvante Charlo (born May 19, 1990) is an American professional boxer. He is currently the undisputed light middleweight world champion, having held the WBC title since 2019 (and previously from 2016 to 2018), the WBA (Super), IBF and ' ...
(24-0, 11 KOs) at
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
Mandalay Bay is a 43-story luxury resort and casino at the south end of the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned by Vici Properties and The Blackstone Group and operated by MGM Resorts International. It was developed by Circus Circus ...
on December 13, 2014, defending his WBO title. On November 16 was cancelled due to purse issues. Andrade was reportedly offered $250,000, but later increased to what would be a career high $300,000 purse. In January 2015, Banner Promotions stated the fight was back on and likely to take place in the Spring of 2015. The following month, Star Boxing and Banner Promotions announced a deal was being worked out, however, Andrade would ultimately pull out. In August 2015, Andrade sued entertainment agency
Roc Nation
Roc Nation is an entertainment agency founded by Jay-Z in 2008. The company is headquartered in Manhattan and has additional offices in Los Angeles and London. Roc Nation comprises a comprehensive talent agency, sports agency, record label, mana ...
alleging they had persuaded him to reject a $550K offer to face Charlo along with a three-fight deal with
Showtime
Showtime or Show Time may refer to:
Film
* ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film
* ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur
Television Networks and channels
* Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
in exchange for a separate deal that did not materialize.
Inactivity and comeback
After 13 months with no title defenses and none scheduled, Andrade was stripped of the title by the
World Boxing Organization
The World Boxing Organization (WBO) is an organization which sanctions professional boxing bouts. It is recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) as one of the four major world championship groups, alongside the World Boxing ...
Committee. On September 11, 2014, it was announced that the WBO had granted a request by Andrade's promoter to have him to challenge for the vacant WBO middleweight title against
Matt Korobov
Matvey Georgiyevich Korobov (russian: Матвей Георгиевич "Мэтт" Коробов; born 7 January 1983) is a Russian professional boxer. He challenged once for the WBO middleweight title in 2014, as well as the WBC interim midd ...
. Andrade's father and trainer, Paul Andrade, stated "I would like to thank the WBO for having faith in us and giving us the opportunity,". However, less than a month later, it was announced that Andrade had elected to pull out of the fight and continue campaigning at the junior middleweight division.
On September 16, 2015 Banner Promotions and Star Boxing announced that Andrade would return to the ring after 16 months of inactivity against 28 year old Argentine boxer Dario Fabian Pucheta (20-2, 11 KOs) for the vacant
WBA International light middleweight
Light middleweight, also known as junior middleweight or super welterweight,PeBoxRec/ref> is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing
The light middleweight division (also known as junior middleweight in the IBF or super welterweight in the WBA an ...
title at the
Mohegan Sun Casino
Mohegan Sun is an American casino, owned and operated by the Mohegan Tribe on of their reservation, along the banks of the Thames River in Uncasville, Connecticut. It has of gambling space.
It is in the foothills of southeastern Connecticut, ...
in
Uncasville, Connecticut
Uncasville is an area in the town of Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is a village in southeastern Montville, at the mouth of the Oxoboxo River where it flows into the Thames River. The name is now applied more generally to all of the ea ...
on October 17. In a statement, Andrade said, "It's about time that I get back in the ring. I am happy to be fighting
ear
An ear is the organ that enables hearing and, in mammals, body balance using the vestibular system. In mammals, the ear is usually described as having three parts—the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. The outer ear consists of ...
home in front of my fans." Andrade headlined the card. Andrade won the vacant regional title by knocking out Pucheta in the second round. Andrade started strong dropping Pucheta in round 1 following a straight left. Pucheta was dropped again in the opening round when Andrade landed a right uppercut. Another right hand in round 2 ended the bout.
Andrade vs. Nelson
ESPN reported that Andrade would take part in a
Showtime
Showtime or Show Time may refer to:
Film
* ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film
* ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur
Television Networks and channels
* Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
-televised tripleheader in a
WBC light middleweight final eliminator against 28 year old contender
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...
(25-2-1, 15 KOs) on June 11, 2016 at the
Turning Stone Resort & Casino
Turning Stone Resort Casino is a Native American resort casino owned and operated by the Oneida Indian Nation of New York (OIN) in Verona, New York.
The facility opened on July 20, 1993, and offers golf amenities (on- and off-site golf course ...
in
Verona, New York
Verona (called ''Te-o-na-ta-le'', "''pine forest''" by the Haudenosaunee) is a town in southwestern Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 6,293 at the 2010 census. The town was named after Verona, Italy.
Verona is located so ...
. Andrade defeated Nelson via a 12th round stoppage. The win put Andrade in line for a WBC title shot against then-newly crowned champion
Jermell Charlo
Jermell DeAvante Charlo (born May 19, 1990) is an American professional boxer. He is currently the undisputed light middleweight world champion, having held the WBC title since 2019 (and previously from 2016 to 2018), the WBA (Super), IBF and ' ...
. Andrade knocked Nelson down four times throughout the fight before it finally came to an end. The final knockdown occurred in round 12 following a right hand. Referee Dick Pakozdi then stopped the fight at 1:38 of the round. The other knockdowns appeared in round 1, 11 and 12, before the final knockdown. With Nelson looking hesitant to throw punches, it allowed Andrade to work over and continiusly land at will. Following the fight, Andrade said, "I’m coming to get those belts.People can’t run no more. The best have to fight the best. I’m coming for them. I came back, I’m stronger. Me and my team worked hard. We figured out what we need to do to take it to the next level. I’m ready for the Charlo brothers. I want them."
Andrade, although he was mandatory for Jermell Charlo's WBC title, made it known that he was also targeting a fight with long-time WBA 'super' champion
Erislany Lara (23-2-2, 13 KOs), who was also regarded one of the best at 154 pounds. Andrade's promoter Artie Pellulo told
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
, "I'm going to ask Stephen (Espinoza) if he is interested in doing a fight between Demetrius and Lara." However, Andrade later stated he'd only face Lara as a "last resort", preferring to face
Jack Culcay for a lesser title with the goal of securing a fight with Jermell Charlo in the future; “He
ara
ARA may refer to:
Media and the arts
* American-Romanian Academy of Arts and Sciences
* '' Artistička Radna Akcija'', compilation album released in former Yugoslavia
* Associate of the Royal Academy, denoting membership in the British Royal Aca ...
won’t engage or try and make the fight entertaining, especially if it’s coming into my favor,” Andrade explained. “He’s just going to survive, try to run, try to do the little pitty-pat counter punches."
Andrade vs. Culcay
Andrade agreed terms to fight
Jack Culcay (22-1, 11 KOs) for the
WBA 'Regular' light middleweight title at the MBS Arena in
Potsdam
Potsdam () is the capital and, with around 183,000 inhabitants, largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of B ...
,
Brandenburg
Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a states of Germany, state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an ar ...
on November 5, 2016.
Sauerland Event won the purse bid for the fight at $425,144, 25% of which will go to Andrade.
Showtime
Showtime or Show Time may refer to:
Film
* ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film
* ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur
Television Networks and channels
* Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
confirmed they would not be broadcasting the fight, despite interest in Andrade, due to them not wanting to go head to head with
Manny Pacquiao's return on that same date. Andrade defeated Culcay in the amateurs on the way to winning gold at the
2007 World Championships. The fight was cancelled after it was revealed Andrade's camp had failed to meet several deadlines the WBA had set for the official contracts to be signed. The contract was eventually signed, however as they have failed to meet the deadlines given by the WBA and Team Sauerland, the fight remained cancelled.
On January 14, 2017 reports suggested that a contract had been signed between Andrade and Culcay to fight for the WBA 'Regular' title on March 11. The fight was officially confirmed weeks later to take place at the
Freidrich-Ebert-Halle in
Ludwigshafen
Ludwigshafen, officially Ludwigshafen am Rhein (; meaning " Ludwig's Port upon Rhine"), is a city in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, on the river Rhine, opposite Mannheim. With Mannheim, Heidelberg, and the surrounding region, it form ...
, Germany. Andrade became a two time world champion after winning the WBA 'Regular' title via split decision. Two judges scored the bout 116–112 for Andrade whilst the third had it 115–114 for Culcay. The fight was regarded as close, with as many as five rounds being tossed between the two.
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is a group of British subscription sports channels operated by the satellite pay television company Sky Group (a division of Comcast), and is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It ...
pundits had Andrade a clear close winner as he outworked Culcay. In the post fight interview, Andrade credited his performance, "I thought I did everything that I needed to do. I came to Germany and took the title. Culcay came like a champion, but I was the better man. I outlanded him and I came out with the victory." He also stated that he was happy to be back in the world title mix and defend against the best 154 pound fighters.
Middleweight
Andrade vs. Fox
On September 14, 2017 it was announced that Andrade would appear on a
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
card, as part of his new multi-fight deal on October 21 as a co-feature to
Jezreel Corrales vs.
Alberto Machado at the
Turning Stone
Turning Stone Resort Casino is a Native American resort casino owned and operated by the Oneida Indian Nation of New York (OIN) in Verona, New York.
The facility opened on July 20, 1993, and offers golf amenities (on- and off-site golf courses ...
in
Verona, New York
Verona (called ''Te-o-na-ta-le'', "''pine forest''" by the Haudenosaunee) is a town in southwestern Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 6,293 at the 2010 census. The town was named after Verona, Italy.
Verona is located so ...
. His opponent was revealed to be
Alantez Fox (23-0-1, 11 KOs), who would be taking a significant step up in competition. It was also revealed the fight would be a non-title fight at middleweight. Fox, a natural middleweight, has been fighting at the weight since 2012. On fight night, Andrade put in a solid performance, winning the fight after 12 rounds via unanimous decision. The three judges' scored the fight 118–110, 118–109, and 116–111 in his favour. Andrade hurt Fox in the opening round and looked as though he would be able finish the fight inside the distance. Instead, Fox went to defense mode and made Andrade work for the decision. In round 7, Andrade slipped during an exchange with Fox. When Andrade got back to his feet, he was shocked to see the referee counting, ruling the slip as an official knockdown. Replays showed that Fox did not land a punch in the exchange. Andrade continued to use his jab and left hand to control the fight. ComputBox stats showed that through the 12 rounds, Fox 52 of 301 punches thrown (17%). Andrade, who was the clear winner after 12 rounds, landed 158 of his 572 thrown (27%), which included 49% of his power punches landed.
Andrade felt he did well in his debut at middleweight and believed there was always room for improvement. He said, "I did everything I needed to do. It was a great experience to go 12 rounds at this weight. Fox is a tough kid, and after I hurt him early in the first round, he recovered well. He wasn't sloppy and he knew how to survive, so that is why I did not finish him." It was revealed that Andrade vacated his WBA 'Regular' light middleweight title before the fight, in order to get ranked immediately at middleweight, which would eventually earn him a title opportunity. The fight drew an average of 613,000 viewers and peaked at 685,000 viewers on HBO.
Promotional changes
On June 20, 2018 it was reported by
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
's Dan Rafael that HBO would air Andrade against
2012 Olympic bronze medalist
Yamaguchi Falcão (15-0, 7 KOs) on the undercard of
Jaime Munguía
Jaime Aarón Munguía Escobedo (born 6 October 1996) is a Mexican professional boxer. He held the WBO junior middleweight title from 2018 to 2019. As of June 2022, Munguía is ranked as the world's fourth best active middleweight by BoxRec, ...
's WBO light middleweight title defence against
Liam Smith on July 21 at the
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hard Rock Cafe, Inc. is a British-based multinational chain of theme restaurants, memorabilia shops, casinos and museums founded in 1971 by Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton in London. In 1979, the cafe began covering its walls with rock and rol ...
in Las Vegas. The fight was confirmed on June 26, however a day later, Andrade announced that he had split with Star Boxing & Banner Promotions, who had both co-promoted Andrade for 10 years. It was a mutual decision from all parties. Andrade said, “It’s been a long journey. I’ve learned a lot and I really appreciate everything that Artie (Pelullo of Banner Promotions) and Joe (DeGuardia of Star Boxing) did for me and my career. Sometimes it seemed like it was us against the whole world trying to get the top fighters to get in the ring with me but at the end of the day Artie and Joe guided me to two World Championships and I really want to thank them for all their efforts! I’m hoping to be back in the ring again very soon and get an opportunity to show the world that I’m going to be a World Champion once again!" Andrade declared himself a promotional free agent. According to The Ring, Andrade bought out the remainder of his contract. The fight with Falcao was cancelled.
Andrade vs. Kautondokwa
On July 12, the WBO ordered
Billy Joe Saunders
Billy Joe Saunders (born 30 August 1989) is a British professional boxer. He is the first fighter from the Travelling community to win world championships in two weight classes, including the WBO middleweight title from 2015 to 2018 and the ...
(26-0, 12 KOs) to make a mandatory defence against Andrade, with both sides having 10 days to reach a deal. On July 13, it was reported that Andrade would be unveiled as one of
Eddie Hearn
Edward John Hearn (born 8 June 1979) is a British sports promoter who is chairman of Matchroom Sport and Professional Darts Corporation. Hearn is the son of promoter Barry Hearn, the founder of Matchroom Sport.
Education
Hearn was a student a ...
's
Matchroom Boxing USA's signing with a deal that would see him fighting on
DAZN
DAZN ( "da zone") is a global sports entertainment platform. Different to traditional linear and satellite broadcasting, DAZN is an over-the-top (OTT) streaming service meaning that it is delivered directly to viewers via the internet.
The ...
. On July 17, at the official launch, Andrade was introduced as one of Matchroom Boxing USA's signings. At this point, it was revealed Andrade would likely make his ring return in October 2018 however there was no confirmation whether Hearn would participate in the purse bid for Saunders vs. Andrade. On 25 July, the purse bid, which was scheduled for the evening, was cancelled after it was revealed that Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren had reached a deal for the fight to take place in USA under the Matchroom USA banner on
DAZN
DAZN ( "da zone") is a global sports entertainment platform. Different to traditional linear and satellite broadcasting, DAZN is an over-the-top (OTT) streaming service meaning that it is delivered directly to viewers via the internet.
The ...
. It was said that representatives of
Top Rank
Top Rank, Inc. is a boxing promotional company founded by Jabir Herbert Muhammad and Bob Arum, which was incorporated in 1973, and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Since its founding, Top Rank has promoted many world class fighters, including Muh ...
were scheduled to be present at the purse bid to try and secure the fight for
ESPN+
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
. With Matchroom USA having promotional rights on the fight, Warren confirmed the fight would take place on
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is a group of British subscription sports channels operated by the satellite pay television company Sky Group (a division of Comcast), and is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It ...
in the United Kingdom and not
BT Sport
BT Sport is a group of broadcasting of sports events, pay television sports channels in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Owned by Warner Bros. Discovery Sports#Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe properties, Warner Bros. Dis ...
. On 9 August, according to Hearn, the fight would take place at the
TD Garden
TD Garden is a multi-purpose arena in Boston, Massachusetts. It is named after its sponsor, TD Bank, a subsidiary of the Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Ontario. It opened in 1995 as a replacement for the original Boston Garden and has been k ...
in
Boston, Massachusetts on 20 October.
On 27 September,
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
's
Dan Rafael
Dan Rafael (; born August 25, 1970) is an American sportswriter known for his coverage of boxing and baseball.
Early life and education
Rafael was born in Albany, New York. He attended Binghamton University, where he wrote for the school paper. ...
first reported that Saunders had tested positive for banned substance
oxilofrine, known as a
stimulant
Stimulants (also often referred to as psychostimulants or colloquially as uppers) is an overarching term that covers many drugs including those that increase activity of the central nervous system and the body, drugs that are pleasurable and inv ...
. The test was carried out by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) on 30 August. Hearn stated he would wait to see if the Massachusetts commission will allow Saunders to fight, however confirmed Andrade would still appear in the main event, whether it be a vacant world title or a non-title bout. Promoter Warren claimed the positive test was due to a nasal spray and was permitted by
UKAD. The
BBBofC also stated Saunders was not in breach of their regulations. At a hearing, the MSAC denied Saunders a license, meaning he could not defend his title against Andrade. According to reports, the cancellation meant Saunders team would be losing around $2.3 million. WBO president, Paco Valcarcel told ESPN, Saunders would not be stripped immediately, as Saunders would likely appeal and Andrade's fight against Namibian boxer Walter Kautondokwa (17-0, 16 KOs), who at the time was ranked #2 with the WBO, would be for the vacant WBO intertim title. On October 11, Saunders voluntarily vacated the title, which meant the bout would be for the full WBO title. According to sources, Andrade was still set to receive his $800,000 purse for the fight.
In front of 6,874 in attendance, Andrade became a two-weight world champion, capturing the vacant WBO title after he dropped Kautondokwa four times in the fight en route to winning via unanimous decision. The scorecards read 120–104, 120–104 and 119–105 in Andrade's favour. At least two of the knockdowns were due to balance issues. In the opening round, Andrade dropped Kautondokwa with a left to the head. While Kautondokwa was on the canvas, Andrade hit him again with a shot to the head that badly hurt him.Referee Steve Willis did not acknowledge the foul. Late in round 3, Andrade landed left hand to the jaw that dropped Kautondokwa for a second time. Reaching the 2 minute mark in round 4, Andrade landed overhand left that sent Kautondokwa to the canvas for the third rime in the fight. At the same time, Kautondokwa landed a left hand which forced Andrade's glove to touch the canvas, however referee Willis did not credit Kautondokwa's knockdown. Kautondokwa got up, but shortly hit with a straight left, sending him down again. At the midway point of the fight, Andrade had wide lead on the scorecards. He then stayed away from Kautondokwa’s powerful right hand by circling the ring in the last half of the contest. Occasionally, Andrade was hit hard by Kautondokwa, but he was able to handle his power. After the fight, Andrade said, "After a one-year layoff, my second bout at 160,
amthe new middleweight champion of the world, Demetrius Andrade. I feel good. I definitely think I carried my power well, and we're just going to keep building and growing for the 160-pound division, and I want to fight the best out there." He also praised Kautondokwa for his toughness. According to CompuBox, Andrade landed 152 of 501 punches thrown (30%), and Kautondokwa landed 45 of his 325 thrown (14%). Kautondokwa did not land more than 8 punches in a single round.
Middleweight
Andrade vs. Akavov
On 18 January 2019, Andrade made his first WBO belt defence against Artur Akavov, who was ranked #8 by the WBO at middleweight. Andrade dominated through most of the fight, and managed to stop Akavov in the final round, with 2:36 left on the clock.
Andrade vs. Sulecki
His second WBO middleweight title defence came against WBO's number 2 Maciej Sulecki. Andrade dropped his challenger once midway through the first round, en route to a dominant unanimous decision win.
Andrade vs. Keeler
On January 30, 2020, Andrade fought Luke Keeler, ranked #3 by the WBO and #10 by the IBF at middleweight. Andrade managed to score two early knockdowns. In the ninth, Andrade went on the offensive and tried to close the fight by unleashing a flurry of punches on Keeler, which prompted the referee to stop the fight and award Andrade the TKO win.
Andrade vs. Hernández-Harrison
Andrade's next fight will be against the undefeated
Dusty Hernández-Harrison in a non-title fight at the super middleweight limit of 168 pounds. The ten-round fight will be on November 27 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The bout would be televised on
DAZN
DAZN ( "da zone") is a global sports entertainment platform. Different to traditional linear and satellite broadcasting, DAZN is an over-the-top (OTT) streaming service meaning that it is delivered directly to viewers via the internet.
The ...
and promoted by
Eddie Hearn
Edward John Hearn (born 8 June 1979) is a British sports promoter who is chairman of Matchroom Sport and Professional Darts Corporation. Hearn is the son of promoter Barry Hearn, the founder of Matchroom Sport.
Education
Hearn was a student a ...
's Matchroom Boxing. However, Hernández-Harrison tested positive for COVID-19 and had to pull out of th fight. The fight got cancelled and Demetrius Andrade looked for a new opponent.
Andrade vs. Williams
The WBO ordered Demetrius Andrade to defend his title to mandatory challenger
Liam Williams. A fight was agreed for April 17 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Andrade fought Williams, ranked #3 by the WBO, scoring a knockdown in round two. The fight went the distance, with all judges scoring the bout in favour of Andrade.
Andrade vs. Quigley
On November 19, 2021, he defeated Jason Quigley by second round TKO
Andrade vs. Parker
Following his win over Quigley, the WBO ordered him to make a mandatory title defense against
Janibek Alimkhanuly
Janibek Alimkhanuly (also spelled as Zhanibek Alimkhanuly, born 1 April 1993) is a Kazakhstani professional boxer who has held the WBO middleweight title since August 2022. As an amateur he won gold medals at the 2013 World Championships, 2 ...
After several postponements with the deadline being reached, the WBO allowed Andrade to move up in weight to face
Zach Parker for the interim
super middleweight title instead, while allowing him to keep the middleweight championship as well. Andrade later withdrew from the fight with Parker, citing an injury during training camp.
On 20 July 2022, the WBO once again ordered Andrade to defend his title against Alimkhanuly, giving the pair 30 days to come to terms. In August, it was reported that Andrade would vacate his middleweight title to revisit negotiations with Parker He officially vacated the middleweight title later that month.
Outside of boxing
On December 6, 2018 it was reported that Andrade had been arrested after he was caught driving in his
Mercedes with a
glock 19
pistol. The pistol was found in a
Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton Malletier, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French high-end luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ranging from luxury bags and leather ...
bag. After doing some checks, the Providence Police found that Andrade did not have a permit to hold the gun. According to the reports, Andrade told the police he had the gun because of his 'fame and wealth', however the detective Maj. David Lapatin explained there was no reason not to have a permit regardless. Two policemen, who were driving along the road at 2:30 a.m. local time, originally came over to Andrade's car after he was seen blocking traffic talking to another person in a Mercedes. The police also found a
magazine with 10 rounds in the bag. Andrade was released on bail the same day.
Professional boxing record
References
External links
*
2007 World Amateur Championship resultsDemetrius Andrade amateur boxing recordDemetrius Andrade - Profile, News Archive & Current Rankingsa
Box.Live
{{DEFAULTSORT:Andrade, Demetrius
1988 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Providence, Rhode Island
Boxers from Rhode Island
National Golden Gloves champions
Winners of the United States Championship for amateur boxers
World Boxing Organization champions
Boxers at the 2007 Pan American Games
Boxers at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Olympic boxers of the United States
American male boxers
AIBA World Boxing Championships medalists
Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States
Pan American Games medalists in boxing
World Boxing Association champions
World light-middleweight boxing champions
Welterweight boxers
Southpaw boxers
World middleweight boxing champions
Medalists at the 2007 Pan American Games
American people of Cape Verdean descent