Demetrius Andrade volunteers to fight Canelo next

By Boxing News - 12/15/2022 - Comments

By Dan Ambrose: Demetrius Andrade is volunteering to fight Canelo Alvarez next in May to give him an upgrade from the guy being talked about as his next opponent in John Ryder.

(Photo credit: Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME)

Promoter Eddie Hearn is campaigning to have his Matchroom Boxing fighter Ryder (32-5, 18 KOs) as Canelo’s opponent for the title defense of his four 168-lb belts on Cinco de Mayo.

When the former two-division world champion Andrade was asked about his thoughts on Canelo potentially fighting the 34-year-old Ryder next, he pointed out that the British fighter is “Not the best.”

Andrade says that Canelo chose not to fight him when he was his mandatory at 154 and 160. Additionally, when Canelo had the opportunity to try and become undisputed at 160, he chose not to fight Andrade for the last belt [WBO] that he needed for him to become the four-belt champion.

Demetrius is fighting Demond Nicholson (26-4-1, 22 KOs) in a 10 round fight next month on January 7th at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The two are fighting on the Gervonta Davis vs. Hector Luis Garcia undercard in the televised portion of the card on Showtime PPV.

“DAZN and Matchroom has been good for that situation,” said Demetrius Andrade to AKHi TV about Canelo Alvarez heading in the direction of a fight with John Ryder in May instead of taking on the ‘dogs.’

“Not the best,” said Andrade when asked to describe Ryder. “It’s time for the bigger fights to happen.

“When it comes to the dogs, myself, I’m going to say. I’m also going to say [Jermall] Charlo is one of the guys that are going to give Canelo a hard time as well. David Benavidez, and there are a lot of guys that have been around for years like myself.

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“I was his mandatory at 154 and 160. Why haven’t those situations happened? Canelo just seems like he wants to stay away from there.

“If Canelo was really about legacy, when he was at 160 lbs and wanted to be undisputed, and the only belt left was Andrade, he chose not to do that and go up and fight Kovalev and then the 168-lb division, which at the time, I believed was the weakest.

“Now it’s become the strongest because everybody has left 160 now. The only person left at 160 is Charlo, and he’s going to have to eventually come up too. There are no more fights left at 160 anymore because everybody is moving.

“Canelo, come fight me. Let’s go. What’s the hold-up? The time is now for everybody. Charlo, Plant, Benavidez, things are happening. Nobody is getting any younger in the sport. Now is the time. Charlo, Plant, Benavidez, let’s make it happen,” said Andrade.