Demetrius Andrade v Artur Akavov

[Master]

Andrade set for first defense of middleweight title at MSG

NEW YORK (AP) -- Demetrius Andrade is just a few months from winning a middleweight title but perhaps still far away from fights with the division's biggest names.

Canelo Alvarez, Gennady Golovkin and Daniel Jacobs are the headliners at 160 pounds, and while one or more of them could someday be in Andrade's future, it doesn't appear to be the near future.

Andrade isn't about to sit around waiting. He's done too much of that already.

So he gets right back into action Friday night, making the first defense of his WBO belt against Russian Artur Akavov in the Theater at Madison Square Garden.

''It's great to be back in the ring,'' Andrade said. ''It's been a long time since I've been this active and so like I said before, every opportunity that comes my way I'm going to take.''



Andrade (26-0, 16 KOs) is a former 154-pound champion who won a middleweight belt on Oct. 20 in Boston, dropping Walter Kautondokwa four times and cruising to a lopsided unanimous decision. Andrade had been scheduled to face champion Billy Joe Saunders, but Saunders tested positive for a banned stimulant and was stripped of his belt.

''We always knew he was going to win that world championship because now he's a three-time, two-weight world champion, and the fights that are ahead for him in the 160-pound division are breathtaking,'' promoter Eddie Hearn said.

Andrade, like Alvarez, is aligned with DAZN, which will stream Friday's card, so perhaps there's a route to a fight with the Mexican star. And like Jacobs, the IBF champion, his fights have been promoted by Hearn, so that could lead to another opportunity.

But after sitting out for a year before winning his title, the former U.S. Olympian from Providence, Rhode Island wants to stay busy until one of those fights emerges.

''I believe I am the greatest talent out there at the 154, 60 and maybe even 68 weight class division, but right now in front of me I've got to take care of business come Friday,'' Andrade said.

That comes against Akavov (19-2, 8 KOs), who is getting his second shot at a title. He lost a decision to Saunders in December 2016.

''I respect him as a champion,'' Akavov said of Andrade, ''but I came here only for the victory. This is my dream, this is my goal.''

On the undercard, Jorge Linares (45-4, 28 KOs), now fighting at 140 pounds after losing his lightweight title to Vasyl Lomachenko last year, faces Pablo Cesar Cano (31-7-1, 21 KOs), and former 140-pound champion Chris Algieri (22-3, 8 KOs) continues his comeback against fellow New Yorker Danny Gonzalez (17-1-1, 7 KOs).

Also, Amanda Serrano (35-1-1, 26 KOs) looks for a title in a seventh weight class - this time dropping down to 115 pounds after fighting at 140 in her last bout - against Austrian champion Eva Voraberger (24-5, 11 KOs).

Then it's Andrade, whom Hearn called the ''sleeping giant'' of the middleweight division whose slick southpaw skills hindered his ability to draw big bouts in the past.

''But now he can't be ignored anymore because he's a world champion in one of the most attractive, lucrative divisions in the sport,'' Hearn said.

https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/andrade-...8669--box.html

[Primo Carnera]

What is it with the WBO? This Akavov fought for the title against Saunders, it was a shit fight , Saunders was shit and won.
So now there’s a new champion and they can’t get another more credible challenger than this.
Doesn’t anybody else warrant a shot? Or do Akavov’s team stump up more cash to the WBO?
Let’s imagine Saunders had fought Andrade and won. Would he have been fighting Akavov again?
Surely somebody else warrants a shot ffs?
Update: I just looked it up, and Akavov is #8 in the WBO Rankings sandwiched between Martin Murray and Jeff Horn!!
Fucking ridiculous.

[Freedom]

This is a horrible mismatch. There are at least 50 better middleweights than Akavov.

There are at least 5 better Russian middleweights: Artem Chebotarev, Khasan Baysangurov, Artur Osipov, Maxim Voshkov and Magomed Madiev.

[ykdadamaja]

Sounds like boxing politics to me. And the card looks like shit too. Shitty fights on this one. Fights that literally mean nothing. Let us hope that a FOTY candidate just happens and we have it on YouTube to remember it by because I don't see myself running to the TV to get this one....

[powerpuncher]

Andrade does what he has been doing his entire career. Just avoiding the top fighters. I will say that last fight BJS was at fault, but Andrade should be fighting higher level caliber fighters.

[ykdadamaja]

Andrade does what he has been doing his entire career. Just avoiding the top fighters. I will say that last fight BJS was at fault, but Andrade should be fighting higher level caliber fighters.

God forbid he gets hurt for not taking quality risks at this stage. Sooner or later he is gonna have to fight someone who is someone- Someone who is not coming in to sell his title/contendership or take a knee and odds are you will NOT be ready for it. Then what is gonna happen is he is going to have to find it within himself to grit it out and THEN we will see how tough he is.

I hate to bring up bad news or sound like a prick, but the "accident" that happened to Adonis Stevenson was predictable. He was going to get hurt BECAUSE you can't go around the place fluffing and fighting easy fights and set up easy moments, but when you jump in with a hungry animal expect anything else but to get hurt.

I'm shocked he did not retire after the Jack fight.

[Alpha]

What is it with the WBO? This Akavov fought for the title against Saunders, it was a shit fight , Saunders was shit and won.
So now there’s a new champion and they can’t get another more credible challenger than this.
Doesn’t anybody else warrant a shot? Or do Akavov’s team stump up more cash to the WBO?
Let’s imagine Saunders had fought Andrade and won. Would he have been fighting Akavov again?
Surely somebody else warrants a shot ffs?
Update: I just looked it up, and Akavov is #8 in the WBO Rankings sandwiched between Martin Murray and Jeff Horn!!
Fucking ridiculous.

To be fair to Akavov, he should have got the nod over Saunders.

Andrade by wide UD.

[Spicoli]

Sad to say I didn't even know it was tonight . Just want to see Linares and Cano. Chris Algeiri is going into the 7th with his sparring partner Gonzalez. Andrade still has me lukewarm at 160 and considering his last fight was a late sub they should have aimed higher for opponent

oh Algieri cut now. Gonzalez no slouch but matter of levels.

[Spicoli]

I swear there are gaps with DAZN where I feel like I'm watching the worlds longest infomercial. They love to talk in between. Linares should be coming up soon.

[Spicoli]

All things being equal this is a rough and tumble opponent for Linares. Would have been better a few years ago but could steal the show. Very good chance we get a nasty headbutt somewhere. Now they're talking Linares v Hooker since Algeiri looked bad .

[Alpha]

The only good thing for me about Linares/Cano is that it could lead to Linares/Hooker.

Doheny did what was expected, won every round before getting the 11th round stoppage.

I've got to shoot out again, I'll try to catch the rest later.

[Spicoli]

Uh ohhhhh And down goes Linares in opening seconds

[Spicoli]

[Spicoli]

Thats all folks, history repeats itself. Linares down 3 times in first and ref waves it off as he falls into ropes. Absolutely bulled over by stronger free swinger and might as well have been throwing snowballs at a tank. Brutal 'upset' and surprise in how it went.

[Spicoli]

Two class acts right there. Career win for Cano and Linares hits the ceiling going to 140. Direction and career very much in question.