By Charles Brun: Demetrius ‘Boo Boo’ Andrade says he’s stuck having to defend his WBO middleweight title against #2 WBO Liam Williams in April because the #1 contender Jaime Munguia didn’t want to fight him.
Unfortunately, Andrade (29-0, 18 KOs) feels that he won’t receive credit after beating the 28-year-old Williams (23-2-1, 18 KOs) because the fans will say he’s no good, just like they’ve done with many other career wins.
Demetrius, 32, wanted to fight Canelo Alvarez, but he chose the “softer” fight against Billy Joe Saunders, which doesn’t surprise him.
Some of the elites get to pick and choose who they want to fight, which Andrade cannot do. He’s not at the level where he can hand-pick opponents like the superstar Canelo and call the shots.
Demetrius sees Liam Williams as an obstacle that he needs to run over to get to bigger and better things. He’s not concerned about his boasts about how he will come into Providence in April and knock him out.
Andrade says Munguia didn’t want to fight
“We got eight weeks until April, so I’m going to do what I do,” said Demetrius Andrade to iFL TV about his fight against Liam Williams.
“I got to fight my mandatory Liam Williams because [Jaime] Munguia, the #1 guy, said, ‘no,‘ he won’t want to fight me, so we’re down the list. Liam Williams says he wants to get in the ring with me, so here we go.
“I don’t know much about him, I haven’t studied him. He wasn’t on my radar. I was trying to get the Billy Joe fight, something bigger for boxing and for myself.
“More prestige for the middleweight division, but since Billy Joe was all smoke and mirrors. He did end up getting the Canelo fight, I’m happy for him, and now I’m going to do what I need to do.
“No,” said Demetrius when asked if he was surprised that Canelo Alvarez chose to fight Billy Joe Saunders.
“There’s not that many elite guys out there. It’s time for the elite guys to start fighting each other one way or another.
“I think Billy Joe is a softer opponent when it comes to me. They wanted to lock in Billy Joe because they didn’t want Canelo fighting me.
“I’m going to be back in the ring and everything is going to be good,” Andrade said when asked if he’s disappointed that he’s fighting Liam Williams.
“I can’t control the situation of who and have the power like some people have to pick and chose who they can get in the ring with anytime they want.
“I’m just dealing with the steps in front of me, and I’m here, that’s it. I’m going to get ready to do what I need to do,” Andrade said.
You can argue that if Demetrius Andrade were the WBO super middleweight belt holder, Canelo Alvarez wouldn’t be interested in unifying the division.
Having a weak champion like Saunders holding the WBO 168-lb belt makes it easy for Canelo. It’s not even a fight. Canelo will have another Callum Smith-level opponent in front of him.
Demetrius not worried about Liam Williams
“It comes with the territory,” said Andrade when asked if he’ll do some studying of Liam Williams’ fight before facing him. “His record, whatever he lost to Liam Smith twice and that’s it.
“I didn’t watch it but I seen some quick highlights someone showed me recently. A lot of UK fighters have said that,” Andrade continued in reacting to being told that Liam Williams is predicting that he’s going to come to the U.S and knock him out.
“Brian Rose said that, Luke Keeler said that, and a few people I fought early on have said that. They all say that.
“That’s everybody’s favorite thing to say and it never happens. Usually, I’m the one knocking them out, so that’ all they can say. These guys not wanting to fight, so the WWE is a safe challenge for me out of 200+ weight classes.
“That’s what’s on the Internet is April [for the Liam Williams fight], and they’re going to do whatever they can to find a venue for it and I”m going to have to try and take this weight off and get ready for Smith, Liam Williams or whatever his name is.
“The governor [in Providence] has to make sure that everything is safe, and as far as opening up, the Dunkin Donuts Center, I think they’re using that venue for COVID testing, so I’m not too sure.
“There are other venues out there. Rhode Island has the Ryan Center, that’s Rhode Island College. And we have Mohegan Sun and Twin River in Connecticut, but if anything, you know, there’s Florida, of course, or Texas.
“I’m tall, black, and handsome, this isn’t going to go away nowhere no time no soon.
“I go by, making sure everybody is doing what they’re doing, checking up on things,” said Andrade when asked if he’s staying in shape,” said Andrade.
Liam Williams can punch, but he’s very crude with his fighting style. He reminds me of a Rocky Balboa type of fighter, a guy that swings wildly, putting everything on his punches and not worrying about his defense.
Williams won’t stop the Andrade train
“I don’t overlook anybody when I step in the ring. Are they overlooking me when they say they’re going to knock me out?” said Andrade.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWLHEzD1ioc
“What you mean, bro? I’ve never said anything about knocking anybody out or talking s*** about anybody, but they talk s*** about me.
“So who’s the one that is overlooked, who’s the one that is undefeated, and who’s the one that everyone mentions when you mention Canelo and GGG, who gets mentioned?
“Liam Williams or Demetrius Andrade? Okay, I’m glad we know that we have an understanding. So who is really being overlooked?
“Listen, I don’t take anybody lightly. I’m not taking him lightly. To step in the ring, you have to have something good. You have to be able to fight.
“They’re not just going to throw guys that can’t fight in the ring with me. That’ not the type of level that I’m at. So he has to be able to defend himself a little bit.
“Liam Williams, I don’t care how much people think he is. You wouldn’t have two losses, and you wouldn’t be mentioned in the top whatever, and you would be fighting Canelo.
“You’d have been fighting Billy Joe and fighting these other guys. You’re not. So I’m going to go and do whatever I need to do, and that’s it. I’m going to move on to bigger and better things.
“This Liam Willams kid is not going to stop this train. Talk is talk. When it’s time to get in there, it’s a whole another ball game. And when I do end up beating all these guys that you’re mentioning,” Andrade said.
Hopefully, Williams puts in a better effort than Brian Rose and Luke Keeler did when they fought Andrade.
Demetrius doesn’t expect to receive credit
“When I do end up beating Sulecki, Akavov, who gave Billy Joe a hard time,” said Demetrius. “Sulecki gave Danny Jacobs a hard time.
“When I beat these guys. When they fight them, they say, ‘Oh wow, that was a fight.’ Billy Joe had a controversial decision.
“They felt like Akavov should have been a draw for he should have won. Danny Jacobs lost to Sulecki.
“Sulecki gave him all he could handle. He ends up winning, but when I fight him, they say, ‘Who is he? He’s nobody. He sucks. Who was that? Just another bum.’
“Right? That’s what they say. So is Liam Williams good? Okay, when I beat him, what are they going to say?
“Luke Keeler was a good fighter, too, right? What about Callum Smith? Who is better Liam Williams or Smith? what about his brother, Liam ‘Beefy’?
“Did he [Liam Williams] switch trainers or something? The drug king, the guy that gives people drugs, right?” said Andrade when told that Liam Williams is now being trained by Dom Ingle.
“You do know. Was he working with Billy Joe Saunders? When I was going to fight Billy Joe Saunders, was he working with Billy Joe Saunders?
“And was Billy Joe tested or drugs? For nasal spray, cool. There’s a lot of nasal spray that hasn’t gotten positive for nasal spray.
“All I’m saying is all of a sudden; he’s doing things. VADA testing will be at hand, and natural clean boxing and fighting, and that’s it,” said Andrade.
Unfortunately, Andrade won’t receive credit if he beats Liam Williams, not with the American boxing fans. They don’t rate Williams as being an elite fighter.
They view him in the same category as many of the B-level fighters that Andrade has been facing since he picked up the WBO 160-lb belt in 2018.