By Jim Calfa: Demetrius Andrade got some bad news on Tuesday with the WBO ordering him to defend his middleweight title against their newly installed mandatory challenger Janibek Alimkhanuly.
This comes after the previous WBO 160-lb mandatory Jaime Munguia choosing not to take the fight with the unbeaten Demetrius ‘Boo Boo’ Andrade (31-0, 19 KOs).
Unfortunately for Demetrius, 33, the unbeaten 2016 Olympian Alimkhanuly (11-0, 7 KOs) brings many risks and very little reward, as he doesn’t have a large fanbase.
Demetrius should vacate WBO title
Given this move by the World Boxing Organization, the most logical thing for Andrade to do is vacate his 160-lb title and petition the WBO to make him mandatory for Canelo Alvarez’s 168-lb title with the organization.
Demetrius can make that move, as the WBO allows champions to move up in weight with their organization and become immediate mandatory challengers for the next division.
We saw former undisputed cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk take advantage of this rule with the WBO to become the #1 mandatory for heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. It worked out well for Usyk, as he defeated Joshua last September to become a three-belt champion.
It’s obvious at this point that if Andrade stays at 160, he’ll continue to be shunned by Charlo, Golovkin, Munguia, and the efforts from his promoter Eddie Hearn will be unrewarded.
Hearn can’t force the management for the other top fighters at 160 to put together fights against the southpaw Andrade because they won’t do it. He’s too dangerous, and southpaw style is a nightmare.
Andrade has been hoping to get a big fight against Jermall Charlo, Canelo Alvarez, or Gennady Golovkin, but his promoter Eddie Hearn has failed to deliver those bouts.
Hearn recently wrote to the WBC to have them make Demetrius mandatory for Jermall Charlo, but they chose not to make that move.
On Tuesday, the WBO ordered Demetrius to face Janikbek next, giving them 20 days to negotiate a deal before a purse bid is called.
If you’re Hearn, you’ve got to be having a conversation with Andrade right now about him potentially vacating the WBO 160-lb title.
Andrade can become mandatory at 168
If Andrade keeps it, he’ll be taking a big risk against the heavy-handed Janibek, and he could lose that fight. It would be worth it for Andrade to take this dangerous fight if the money was huge, but it won’t be.
Janibek is not a household name in the United States, so he brings nothing to the table other than a lot of risks.
Assuming Andrade vacates his 160-lb title and is installed as the mandatory for Canelo’s WBO 168-lb title, he’ll be in a position to pick up the strap when the Mexican star vacates it to swerve him.
If Canelo has a conscience and doesn’t want to be seen as ducking Demetrius, so much the better.
The boxing public would be getting a great fight, much better than the one that Canelo is expecting to take next against WBC cruiserweight champion Ilunga Makabu in May 2022.