By Allan Fox: Demetrius Andrade (24-0, 16 KOs) will be moving up to middleweight next month to fight undefeated #8 WBO, #12 contender face Alantez Fox (23-0-1, 11 KOs) on October 21 at HBO “Boxing After Dark at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.
Andrade vs. Fox is the co-feature bout on the Jezreel Corrales vs. Alberto Machado card. Corrales will be defending his WBA Super World super featherweight title in his title defense against Machado. The start time for the Corrales-Machado card on HBO “BAD” is at 10:05 p.m. ET/PT.
This will be the first fight of a multi-fight contract for Andrade with HBO Boxing. It’s important that Andrade shines against Fox, as in his last fight with Jack Culcay last March, Andrade did not look at all good. It was one of his poorer performances of his 9-year pro career.
According to Dan Rafael, Andrade, 29, and Fox will be fighting in the 160-lb. division rather than it being a match at 154. Andrade currently holds the WBA World junior middleweight title since beating Jack Culcay by a 12-round split decision on March 11. It’s thought that the 6’1” southpaw Andrade could remain at middleweight after he faces Fox rather than moving back down to 154 o continue to campaign in that weight class.
There’s more money for Andrade at middleweight where he can get important fights against the likes of Saul Canelo Alvarez, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, Danny Jacobs and Jermall Charlo. The 154-lb. division has thinned out with Canelo moving up to 154, along with Jermall Charlo. The only notable guys left at junior middleweight are Jermell Charlo, Erislandy Lara, Erickson Lubin and Jarett Hurd. WBO 154 lb. champion Miguel Cotto be retiring in December, so he’s not going to be around after that. Cotto never showed any interest in fighting Andrade unfortunately.
With a win over Fox, Andrade will get ranked with one or more of the sanctioning bodies. It’ll be a matter of Andrade keeping busy before he eventually gets a shot at one of the titles in the middleweight division. Without HBO giving a push to Andrade, likely they’re doing with the recently signed Danny Jacobs, it’s unlikely that he’ll get a shot against Golovkin or Canelo. Those guys are the 2 stars of the 160-lb. division right now.
In addition to his WBA title that he currently holds, Andrade previously held the WBO junior middleweight title from 2013 to 2015. Andrade was stripped of his WBO 154 lb. title by the World Boxing Organization for failing to defend the belt within a 1-year time period. Andrade did defend his WBO title once in stopping #1 WBO Brian Rose in the 7th round on June 14, 2014. It was an impressive win for Andrade. After being stripped of his WBO title, Andrade defeated Dario Fabian Pucheta and Willie Nelson by knockout victories in 2015 and 2016. In Andrade’s last fight, he edged Culcay to win the WBA belt last March.
If Andrade stays at 154, he’s not likely to be involved in any meaningful fights. The division is really lacking in stars right now with Canelo moving up to 160. For Andrade to get the big money, he’s pretty much forced to move up to 160 to chase Canelo and Golovkin.