By Barry Holbrook: Eddie Hearn wants Demetrius Andrade to go for the knockout tonight when he defends against Liam Williams on DAZN at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood, Florida. The start time for the Andrade vs. Williams fight is at 3:00 p.m ET.
Hearn believes that WBO middleweight champion Andrade (29-0, 18 KOs) needs a knockout against his mandatory Williams (23-2-1, 18 KOs) to create pressure on fighters like Jermall Charlo Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin.
It certainly wouldn’t hurt for Andrade to get an impressive stoppage tonight for him to increase his popularity in the 160-lb division.
Hearn wants Andrade to impress
“I’m hoping [Andrade] looks brilliant and knocks this guy out,” says Eddie Hearn to Sports Illustrated. “And then we scream and shout from the rooftops. He needs that kind of performance.
“If you give a safe performance, you always give those people an opportunity to say, ‘He’s boring; I’m going to fight someone else.’ He needs an impressive win.”
“Not jumping on him was a mistake,” says Hearn about Andrade’s fight with Maciej Sulecki. “That place would have gone wild.”
It’s important for Andrade not to play it safe against Williams the way he did in his fight against Maciej Sulecki in June 2019.
That was a wasted opportunity for Andrade to impress after knocking Sulecki down in the first and seemingly having him on the verge of a knockout.
Williams: I’m going to walk through Andrade
“Maybe a little bit, but not as much as he makes out,” said Williams to DAZN when asked if Andrade has been “avoided” by the top guys at 160.
“He’s a southpaw, he’s tricky, and he’s an awkward fighter, so he probably has been [avoided] a little bit.
“But I don’t see any major threats to him, and I think I’m going to walk through him, and I’m going to hurt him. I think I bring too much intensity, the engine and the work rate, and the punching power.
“I think once I start, I’m going to put him in a shell, and I don’t believe he’s going to have enough fight in him to keep me away.
“No disrespect, but I don’t rate Jack Culcay. I don’t think he’s that good. He’s very basic.
“For you to go back and that far [2017] and say that he’s one of his best names, for me, it says a lot. I don’t think he’s [Andrade] boxed anyone with a big name. He’s never boxed anyone with any star potential.
“They give him too much respect,” said Liam Williams on what Andrade’s opponents have been doing wrong against him.
“He obviously has an image of being tricky and a good boxer. For me, I’m going to give him ZERO respect, and I’m going to be on his chest and look to cause damage,” said Williams.
From what Andrade has said this week, he’s counting on Liam to come forward looking to press. He wants the opportunity to counter-punch Williams and hit him on the way in with shots.
Williams hoping Demetrius is overlooking him
“Maybe a little bit,” said Liam when asked if he believes Andrade is looking past him. “I don’t think he’s stupid enough to overlook me. I don’t think he quite realizes how tough of a fight this fight will be for him.
“I don’t think he has [overlooked Liam], but hopefully, he has. It’s only going to play in my favor and let me win easier than I think I am anyway,” said Liam Williams about the possibility of Demetrius overlooking him.
There’s little chance of Demetrius overlooking Williams tonight, as there’s too much at stake for the Matchroom fighter in the future.
Andrade needs to keep winning to have an eventual mega-fight against Gennady Golovkin, Canelo Alvarez, or Billy Joe Saunders. Besides, Andrade is experienced from a long amateur career involving Olympic competition and what he’s done as a pro.