By Chris Glover

Madison Square Garden’s hosted Matchroom Boxing as Eddie Hearn’s outlet gave us a World title tripleheader at the Mecca of Boxing.

Rhode Island’s Demetrius ‘Boo Boo’ Andrade put on an exquisite exhibition of pure boxing, as he dominated battle hardened Artur Akavov in the twelfth round of their WBO World Middleweight title clash.

From the opening bell, it was the Andrade show, as he controlled the distance with his jab, boxing out of the southpaw stance.

This was the theme throughout; Andrade controlled the range and upped the tempo and his punch output, displaying his lightning speed, whenever he felt it necessary to do so.

Akavov was game, but realistically had no answer for the cute timing and precision of Andrade’s jab, and was slowed down from body shots from the Champion.

Akavov was taking shot after shot, and the referee in charge brought a hold to proceedings in the dying stages of the twelfth round, essentially preventing the Russian Challenger from taking any more punishment.

Demetrius Andrade

On tonight’s performance:

“I felt great, I displayed skills and how to use a hell of a jab for 12 rounds, baby. That’s it. I did what I had to do. I looked beautiful, I came out tall, black and handsome and I’m still. I look forward to getting in there with the best. Akavov moved, he used the ring real well. I wasn’t trying to force anything. The jab was working beautiful all night. At the end of the day, you put GGG [Gennady Golovkin] in front of me and I am going to destroy him”

On tonight’s game plan:

“We wanted to display the jab and movement. Going to the body and slowing him down. He is a tough fighter, he came in here to win and do what he had to do but we just out-boxed him. That shit was beautiful.”

On the potential for big fights in 2019:

“I mean, all I can do is just keep destroying the top 15. After I keep destroying the top 15, they have nobody else but to say but GGG, Canelo, Danny Jacobs and all those great guys up there. That’s all we’re looking to do, make great fights, baby. That’s it. And may the best man win.”

On fighting Billy Joe Saunders:

“He’s unprofessional. I am not worried about Billy Joe Saunders.”