LAS VEGAS – David Benavidez considers Demetrius Andrade a crafty, championship-caliber opponent who he will need some time to figure out Saturday night. (photo by Ryan Hafey)
The younger, unbeaten Benavidez doesn’t think Andrade is all that much of a puncher, though. The undefeated Andrade has knocked out 19 of his 32 professional opponents, 59 percent, but the skillful southpaw has fought only once at the super middleweight limit of 168 pounds.
Andrade dropped Demond Nicholson twice in that bout, once in the second round and again in the 10th round. Nicholson made it to the final bell, however, on the Gervonta Davis-Hector Luis Garcia undercard January 7 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
The left-handed Andrade shut out Nicholson by the same score, 100-88, on all three cards. Allowing Nicholson to finish that fight on his feet only reinforced Benavidez’s belief, though, that Andrade hasn’t taken whatever power he possessed while he competed in the middleweight division to super middleweight.
Benavidez is also accustomed to competing within the 168-pound division. He has fought at or slightly above the super middleweight limit since he turned pro as a precocious 16-year-old in August 2013.
“I do feel like that’s a big advantage for me,” Benavidez told BoxingScene.com. “Andrade, it’s weird with him. He has power, but he doesn’t really have power. But that was at 160, and then coming up to 168, I seen his last fight with Nicholson and I don’t really feel like he had power at all. You know, you’re talking about a fighter that got dropped four times by Edgar Berlanga, and I don’t really think much of Edgar Berlanga. And he looked better than Demetrius Andrade did with the same opponent.”
Nicholson (26-6-1, 22 KOs), of Laurel, Maryland, became the first pro opponent to take Berlanga the distance in April 2021. Prior to beating Nicholson by unanimous decision in their eight-rounder, Brooklyn’s Berlanga (21-0, 16 KOs) had knocked out each of his first 16 opponents in the first round.
Berlanga has gone the distance in each of his subsequent four fights as well. Phoenix’s Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs) has a knockout ratio of 85 percent and had beaten six straight foes by knockout or technical knockout before former IBF super middleweight champ Caleb Plant (22-2, 13 KOs) went 12 rounds with him in Benavidez’s last fight – a 12-round, unanimous-decision win March 25 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Andrade stopped Ireland’s Jason Quigley (20-3, 14 KOs) in the second round of his bout before he encountered Nicholson. Benavidez doesn’t think that quick win in November 2021 is an accurate reflection of Andrade’s power.
“I don’t really feel like he has power,” Benavidez said. “I think I do have the advantage because I’m the bigger guy. I’m naturally getting stronger, too. I’m 26 and I’m getting my man strength. So, I feel like I’m the stronger fighter. But, I mean, we’re not just gonna be overconfident and not think Demetrius has any power. You know, he’s probably working extremely hard. So, like I said, we’re just gonna be ready for whatever comes our way and may the best man win.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.