Demetrius Andrade has signed contract to fight Zach Parker for WBO interim 168-lb title

By Boxing News - 03/05/2022 - Comments

By Sean Jones: Queensbury promoter Frank Warren has confirmed that unbeaten Demetrius Andrade (31-0, 19 KOs) has signed his contract to fight Zach Parker (22-0, 16 KOs) for the WBO interim super middleweight title. The date and venue will be named later.

The winner of the Andrade vs. Parker fight will be in a good spot to eventually fight for the WBO 168-lb title or be elevated to full champion should current belt-holder Canelo Alvarez choose to vacate.

Parker is ranked #1 with the WBO, which is why Andrade needs to face him for the interim title rather than being installed at the top spot.

As a general rule with the WBO, when a champion moves up in weight, they’re installed as the mandatory for the champ.

Unfortunately, for Andrade, he’s stuck fighting Parker for the WBO interim spot rather than being made mandatory for Canelo. It’s not a great deal for Andrade because even if he beats Parker, he’s still not the mandatory for Canelo (57-1-2, 39 KOs). For Andrade to become mandatory, he’ll need to fight in a title eliminator with the WBO.

When former cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Uysk moved up in weight, he was installed as the WBO mandatory to then heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua immediately in 2019.

Usyk didn’t have to fight for the WBO interim and then battle in a title eliminator to become mandatory. It’s too bad Andrade has to jump through two hoops to become Canelo’s mandatory for his WBO title at 168.

Image: Demetrius Andrade has signed contract to fight Zach Parker for WBO interim 168-lb title

You have to strongly suspect that Canelo will vacate if Andrade, 34, beats Parker and the World Boxing Organization orders the fight. The Mexican star Canelo has never expressed interest in fighting the tall southpaw Andrade, and, predictably, he’ll give up his WBO belt rather than face him.

Parker, 27, has excellent power but no experience against top-rated contenders during his seven-year professional career. This might be too much of a step up in class for Parker, who has been fighting domestic and European level opposition since turning pro in 2015.

Zach Parker’s best wins:

Rohan Murdock
Marcus Morrison
Luke Blackledge
Sherzod Khusanov
Vaugh Alexander

It’s too bad Parker hasn’t been given a quality step up to get him ready for a fighter of Andrade’s caliber. In Parker’s last fight, he stopped Marcus Morrison in four rounds.

These guys would have been good options for Parker to have prepared himself to fight Demetrius: Billy Joe Saunders, Lerrone Richards, Jose Uzcategui, Daniel Jacobs, David Morrell Jr, David Benavidez, or Aidos Yerbossynuly.