When he turned professional in 2008, just months removed from narrowly missing the medal round of the Olympics, it was easy to guess the sky was the limit for Demtrius Andrade. The 2007 World Amateur champion had size, style, speed, and skill.
What could go wrong?
When the bell rings on Saturday (Showtime PPV, 8 PM EST), the answer to that question won’t matter anymore. This is a chance, fifteen years later, to try to make it all go right. Despite having won belts at junior middleweight and middleweight over the years, Andrade will face the first former major titlist (at least of the primary variety) of his entire career, the man almost universally seen as the true number one contender to lineal and undisputed super middleweight champion Saul Alvarez.
He’ll never make up for lost time but the undefeated Andrade can make his time now.
Benavidez has lost some time too.
A failed drug test cost him his first WBC belt in the division. A failure to make weight cost him his second. Alvarez’s pursuit of all the titles in the class subsequently went around, instead of through, him. This year, chasing the fight that matters most in his division, Benavidez is doing things the old fashioned way. He isn’t just getting himself into position with the WBC. He’s fighting the other top contenders to make his case concrete.
Benavidez got the best win of his professional career in March with a decision over former titlist Caleb Plant. Now he’s risking his spot against a tricky southpaw with the potential to make him look bad even in victory.
Benavidez is younger, bigger, and stronger. Andrade is in the more desperate position. Which way does this intriguing clash break?
Let’s get into it.
Stats and Stakes
David Benavidez
Age: 26
Titles: None
Previous Titles: WBC super middleweight (2017-18, 1 Defense; 2019-20)
Height: 6’0
Weight: 167 lbs.
Stance: Orthodox
Hails from: Phoenix, Arizona
Record: 27-0, 23 KO
Press Rankings: #1 (TBRB, Ring), #2 (ESPN, BoxRec)
Record in Major Title Fights: 3-0, 1 KO (5-0, 2 KO including interim title fights)
Last Five Opponents: 125-9-3 (.923)
Notable Outcomes, TBRB and/or Ring Rated Foes: Anthony Dirrell KO9; David Lemieux TKO3; Caleb Plant UD12
Additional Current/Former Titlists Faced: None
Vs.
Demetrius Andrade
Age: 35
Title: None
Previous Titles: WBO Jr. middleweight (2013-15, 1 defense); WBO middleweight (2018-22, 5 defenses)
Height: 6’1
Weight: 167 ½ lbs.
Stance: Southpaw
Hails from: Providence, Rhode Island
Record: 32-0, 19 KO
Press Rankings: #4 (BoxRec), #8 (ESPN), #9 (TBRB)
Record in Major Title Fights: 8-0, 4 KO (9-0, 4 KO including WBA sub-title fights)
Last Five Opponents: 110-10-3 (.907)
Notable Outcomes, TBRB and/or Ring Rated Foes: Vanes Martirosyan SD12; Willie Nelson TKO12; Walter Kautondokwa UD12; Maciej Sulecki UD12; Liam Williams UD12
Additional Current/Former Titlists Faced: None (Jack Culcay (SD12) was a WBA sub-titlist in the division)
The Pick: This is a fight that could go a lot of ways, and not just in the normal “anything can happen” fashion. There are easy to envision scenarios. We just don’t know which one we get.
The first is a controversial outcome. Andrade is prone to strong starts that then devolve into awkward affairs where he works in and out, making things ugly but winning rounds. Against Andrade, that could mean a lot of rounds where purists favor Andrade but the judges and plenty of viewers favor aggression, effective or not, to advance Benavidez toward a fan-friendly showdown with Alvarez.
The second is a master class from Andrade, a performance on par with the Willie Nelson win that had some thinking that he was finally ready to live up to his potential. That’s the thing with Andrade. He’s not a fighter who should have been in this position. He started his career with hype, had lots of nationally televised exposure early, was slotted on HBO and Showtime, and worked his way out of the mix instead of into it. If he works off the jab, stays focused, and doesn’t get caught, he can give Benavidez fits, and change the arc of his career by simply being who he’s always had the talent to be.
The third possibility is probably the most likely. Time is undefeated and the thinking here is Andrade has waited too long and Benavidez is a nightmare super middleweight for him to pursue. Andrade has moved up from junior middleweight. Benavidez has the frame to realistically be a cruiserweight someday and boils down to 168 lbs. Benavidez squares up too much, can be caught, and might well fall behind early…but keeping Benavidez off is no easy task. Once he gets going, his combinations flow with excellent speed and power. Against Plant, he just kept gathering momentum as the fight wore on, dominating the second half after a close first six rounds. A similar scenario is the pick here, with Benavidez winning on points in a fight where he pulls away in the second half.
Additional Weekend Picks
Chantelle Cameron Dec. Katie Taylor
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Jermall Charlo Dec. Jose Benavidez
Lamont Roach Dec. Hector Garcia
Rold Picks 2023: 35-12
Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, a member of the International Boxing Research Organization, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com