by David P. Greisman
Demetrius Andrade wants to have a world title around his waist before he goes on to fight the winner of a bout between World Boxing Council titleholder Jermell Charlo and Charles Hatley.
That leaves a short list of potential foes. One name at the bottom of the list is World Boxing Association beltholder Erislandy Lara.
“Don’t get me wrong. Lara is an interesting fight because he also is slick. But that last fight against Vanes Martirosyan, he tried to stay in the pocket a little bit, he felt comfortable with somebody he’s already fought before, which I don’t know if he’ll do that with somebody like me,” Andrade told krikya360.com late last month.
“I don’t know. If that’s the last resort, than yeah, I’m going to take the fight,” he said.
But it otherwise doesn’t interest him as much.
“He 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. I’m not about that right now. I’m about sitting in there, doing what I need to do best, and letting the fans know that I’m willing to get in there with anybody and put on a show and make ends meet.”
Interestingly, while Andrade doesn’t want the WBA “super” titleholder in Lara, he would be OK with facing the secondary titleholder, Jack Culcay, who holds the sanctioning body’s “regular" belt. Andrade doesn’t know much about Culcay.
“I just heard of his name, that he has the WBA,” Andrade said. “I’m trying to get a title shot so I can put a belt up against Charlo where it’s big, not me trying to fight for the belt he has, even though I’m going to take it.”
Of course, Charlo would still have to get by Hatley. And the WBC would have to allow Andrade to remain the mandatory challenger to the Charlo-Hatley winner even if Andrade fights for another sanctioning body’s belt.
Andrade’s promoter has been in talks with Culcay’s camp about the fight and will soon meet with Showtime Sports executive Stephen Espinoza about the bout, according to Mitch Abramson of RingTV.com.
If events shake out the way Andrade hopes, then he could be in that bout with the Charlo-Hatley winner in the first half of 2017.
“Hopefully they make the fight by the end of this year,” he said. “I fight by the end of this year. Probably March or April, maybe the latest, May, that matchup is there.”
Pick up a copy of David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” at or internationally at . Send questions/comments via email at fightingwords1@gmail.com