The superlatives that were normally used to describe Demetrius Andrade were a mile long. The former Olympian is a crafty fighter, not the strongest but had good power in both hands, was incredibly slick, and always found a way to win. (photo by Ryan Hafey)
No one is perfect of course, and Andrade’s one weakness appeared to be his gas tank. At times, the 35-year-old struggled in the second half of fights. It never cost him in the win column but Andrade knew he needed to step up his conditioning ahead of his showdown against David Benavidez.
With the biggest night of his life arriving soon, Andrade called up his good friend and renowned trainer, Andre Rozier, and invited him to training camp. Along with SNAC, Andrade was put through the wringer.
They implemented an arduous workout regimen and pushed him to his physical limits. It wasn’t easy, but on the day of the weigh-ins, Andrade unveiled the results.
At the age of 35, the Rhode Island native flashed a six-pack, broad shoulders, and defined muscles. He also claimed that his gas tank would be on full all night long.
During the first few rounds of their super middleweight showdown last Saturday night, Andrade moved beautifully. Even after those first few frames, he stood in his corner, refusing to sit while listening carefully to the instructions given to him. But, once he dropped in the fourth, everything changed. Although he fought on for two additional rounds, Benavidez dominated him. After remaining on his stool at the end of the sixth, their contest was officially waved off.
Since then, fans have lambasted Andrade for huffing and puffing in between rounds. Rozier, however, came to his fighter’s defense. From his point of view, instead of chastising and ripping his efforts, fans should simply look at the relentless work ethic of Benavidez for the real reason why Andrade’s energy faded so quickly.
“I think his conditioning was fantastic,” said Rozier to BoxingScene.com when asked what happened during preparation. “We had a marvelous training camp. You couldn’t ask for better. I think it was just the force of Benavidez coming and the pressure. He is a machine and a lot to deal with.”