When two great fighters have been avoided by top opponents for so long, it inevitably makes sense for them to fight each other to get to the top.
That’s the working theory of former two-division champion Demetrius Andrade (32-0, 19 KOs), who spent most of his career unsuccessfully chasing big names like Canelo Alvarez, Gennadiy Golovkin and Jermall Charlo.
The 35-year-old Andrade will finally get his shot at super elite and potential recognition among the sport’s pound-for-pound best when he takes on former two-time super middleweight titleholder David Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs) Saturday in a 168-pound bout at the Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas (Showtime PPV, 8:00 p.m. ET).
“Fighters don’t want to fight, but I’m glad David has nowhere to go,” Andrade told CBS Sports last month. “It only makes sense to fight me.”
The 26-year-old Benavidez, who was born in Arizona to Mexican and Ecuadorian parents, is coming off a stunning decision victory over former champion Caleb Plant in their PPV bout in March and was apparently hand-picked by boxing’s Mexican-American tradition fan base as a later man Alvarez’s successor.
Benavidez, like Andrade, is hoping that a breakthrough win against such a difficult opponent will be the final rung on the ladder to climb before he finally gets the call to challenge Alvarez for his four-pack of world titles in the division.
“To be honest, I don’t know what this man is doing,” Benavidez told “Morning Kombat” last month when asked about Alvarez. “I feel like every time I say something people say I’m just looking for a payday. I have been the mandatory fighter for two years. I first won the Eliminator title and then the WBC Interim title, which guarantees you one. The fact that the fight didn’t happen is really crazy to me.
“This man is only making it worse because I’m gaining so much experience. I feel very comfortable and won’t be going anywhere. As soon as I get in the ring with Canelo, all these belts will come to me.”
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Don’t let the ambitious hopes of both fighters and their shared longing to one day share the ring with boxing’s greatest star give the impression that they are overlooking each other.
Benavidez may have previously been his greatest enemy during a career that saw him become the youngest champion in the division’s history at age 20 in 2017, only to be stripped of his WBC title twice (once for a failed drug test for cocaine and a second Just). Time in the middle of the pandemic due to lack of weight). But the maturity he has shown in recent years is remarkable, as is the performance he showed against Plant, where Benavidez came in at his best and simply wore down his smaller opponent over 12 rounds.
“I’m trying to prove to the world that I’m the best super middleweight on the planet,” Benavidez said. “I will definitely show that because I had a great training camp. I’ve already been working for three months and have had some great rounds of sparring. And this is the last showtime.” [pay-per-view] so we have to go out with a bang.
“Those are the type of fights that interest me because Demetrius Andrade is undoubtedly a great fighter. But I can test my heart and mind before anyone else. I know when people let me dig deep inside, the best in me comes out. So we’re looking forward to that.”
What makes this matchup so interesting is that Andrade, a 2008 U.S. Olympian from Rhode Island, is the kind of Swiss Army knife boxer whose colorful personality has never been able to make up for the fact that his opponents have always viewed him as high-risk and considered it to be of little reward.
Andrade is a long southpaw who, thanks to his elite defensive skills, relies on speed and stealth to awkwardly navigate the middle of the ring without paying for space. But to say that this fight has been a long time coming for Andrade would be an insult to how difficult his career has been when it comes to winning big-name opponents.
Although Andrade looked great and scored respectable wins at 154 and 160 pounds against the likes of Vanes Martirosyan, Brian Rose, Willie Nelson, Jack Culcay and Maciej Sulecki, the big names routinely avoided him. Throughout the process, Andrade also found himself stuck in and out of promoting Siberia and admits to thinking about walking away several times out of frustration.
All that seemed to change when he signed with top advisor Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions in late 2022. What followed was a clear decision victory over Demond Nicholson in his super middleweight debut in January on the undercard of the Gervonta Davis-Hector Luis Garcia PPV card, which provided an opportunity to face Benavidez once it was clear that Alvarez was not part of his plans would be for 2023.
“People avoided me and didn’t want to fight [but] “If you put the very best in front of me, I will be the very best and improve,” Andrade said. “That’s exactly it.” At one point I threw my hands up because of the situation I was in. Obviously it didn’t work out and a separation and a divorce had to take place here. That’s pretty much what I had to do to be in the position I’m in today.
“It’s more in my hands now. There are no obligations to a manager or a promoter. I have a solid team that I trust and work with, but nothing is on paper. Finally free, finally free. Thank you Almighty.” God that I am finally free.
Andrade may be better known for his ability to hit and not get hit, but that hasn’t stopped him from declaring his willingness to defeat Benavidez by any means possible, even if that means putting himself in front of Benavidez and swaps.
That’s a prospect Benavidez would obviously prefer, although he’s well-prepared to lead the chase if need be, much like he wrecked Plant eight months ago.
“If he gives me a war, then I’m looking forward to it because I’m a warrior and I can’t wait to get in there,” Benavidez said. “I go into every fight thinking that every opponent will be the best they can be. He’s a skilled boxer so I expect him to do his best, but that’s what I’ve done for a long time. “I love finding out guys and I’ve hurt everyone I’ve been in the ring with.
“I am the smarter fighter and I am the faster and hungrier fighter.”
Andrade said he doesn’t expect Benavidez to be in the best shape of his career this weekend, but wants to make one thing clear to critics and/or oddsmakers, including those who have pegged him as a 1-3 underdog: He is it’s not Caleb Plant.
“Listen, people are definitely rooting for Michael Jordan, you know? So I would assume [Benavidez] “I would get up to fight myself,” Andrade said. “But I’m not Caleb Plant, in any way, shape or form.” There are sayings that we fight the same way because we both box but we don’t fight the same way. I can ask all my own questions and get my answers too. It will be my time to stand up there and let Demetrius Andrade’s A game come out. I couldn’t get that out [in a while]. It will be two cats fighting each other, not a cat fighting a mouse.
Saturday’s other notable bout marks the return of WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo when he takes on Jose Benavidez Jr., the older brother of David Benavidez. Charlo has been out of action since June 2021 as he struggles with issues outside of the ring with his family and his own mental health. Now he looks to shake off ring rust when he takes on Benavidez Jr. in a 10-round non-title bout. Benavidez Jr. picked up his first win in five years in August.
Let’s take a closer look at the rest of the undercard before moving on to a prediction and expert picks for the main event.
Benavidez vs. Andrade fight card, odds
- David Benavidez -440 vs. Demetrius Andrade +335, super middleweight
- Jermall Charlo -700 vs. Jose Benavidez Jr. +500, middleweight
- Subriel Matias -350 vs. Shohjahon Ergashev +275, super lightweight
- Hector Luis Garcia -290 vs. Lamont Roach +235, super featherweight
Information on Benavidez vs. Andrade
- Date: 25. November
- Location: Michelob Ultra Arena – Las Vegas
- Start time: 9pm ET
- How to watch: Showtime PPV ($74.99)
forecast
Those who have followed Andrade’s career closely enough will realize that he has the skills needed to turn heads. The biggest question revolves around whether he can take the kind of pounding that Benavidez’s downhill style unleashes, especially in the second half when “The Mexican Monster” seems to be getting stronger.
One of the most underrated aspects of Benavidez’s game is how adept he is at blocking or evading counterattacks while operating and throwing punches at close range. While most would expect Andrade to rely on his footwork in the first half, he needs to be sure he’s firing off enough rounds before Benavidez’s inevitable mid-fight adjustment kicks in and his pressure mounts.
Andrade’s strength is more of the kind that accumulates over rounds, rather than the kind that can be achieved with a single punch, which will make it difficult to dissuade Benavidez from moving forward. And that’s the key to potentially giving you an advantage against him in the ring, because Benavidez’s style is so fan and judge friendly that it’s difficult to win close rounds against him because he’s not usually just the busier fighter , but also the one who lands the most power shots.
If Andrade can’t hurt Benavidez or confuse him enough to deviate from his game plan, the best he can hope for is a moral victory over the distance while Benavidez takes a giant step closer to fighting Alvarez, which will likely be Define You his professional career.
Selection: Benavidez via UD12