Following a run in the 2008 Olympics, Demetrius Andrade had and still has high expectations. It was apparent after he beat Vanes Martirosyan for WBO super welterweight gold. “Boo Boo” continued to prove his value when he beat Walter Kautondokwa for the WBO middleweight title.
However, the 35-year-old has seen fighters debuting after him become undisputed or secure money fights while he waits in line. What gives?
The Rhode Island-born Andrade has campaigned for years for big-time fights against Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin. Those fights have yet to come to fruition, leaving Andrade in limbo.
A Pan American Games silver medalist, Andrade has the skills to back up his gift of gab, but he needs the opportunity. That opportunity arrives when he faces David Benavidez for the interim WBC super middleweight title on November 25.
The winner of this fight, the last PPV event for Showtime Boxing, is the next man up for Canelo, the undisputed super middleweight champion. Andrade, who defended the WBO middleweight title five times, relinquished the belt to move up to super middleweight.
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During the years that he chased after Canelo, Andrade received a reputation amongst boxing fans. The thought was he ducked Janibek Alimkhanuly, now the WBO middleweight champion, among other contenders.
Though he has 19 wins via knockout, his fighting style has been both praised and criticized in equal measure. “Boo Boo” can finish fights early but often drags them out, which either gives him the label of a "scientific" or "boring" fighter.
Andrade cannot afford to be lackadaisical against Benavidez, who has 23 wins via knockout and a towering presence in the ring. If he makes a mistake, he could be outworked like Caleb Plant or knocked out like David Lemieux. However, the 35-year-old Andrade believes he's getting stronger as he gets older.
“I think (Benavidez) is going to be surprised at how long I can sustain my power. I think he is going to be real surprised,” Andrade told Sports Illustrated. “They are studying me. I used to throw a lot of fast punches, but as I got older and realized, can’t be too fast, started working on strength and condition, and everybody always went down. I put them down, multiple times if that’s the case. From there, I do what people love to see or should want to see, and that’s the skills of a boxer, do his thing.”
Whether due to contractual and promotional issues, Andrade has had a stop-and-start career. Inactivity hasn't been kind, with just three fights since 2020. It's not entirely his fault, but it is not a great look. That can all change with a potential new contract and another belt around his waist.
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Per Sports Interaction, Benavidez is the -350 favorite, while Andrade is the +275 underdog. Now more than ever, it is time for Andrade to put up or shut up. There can be no excuses, as the action has to be quick, especially against a monster like Benavidez.
Andrade controls his own destiny on November 25. There have been members of the media and fans who have given him praise over the years. It is up to him to prove them and himself right as he chases greatness.
Step one is Benavidez, his biggest challenge besides himself.
