Zab Judah has always felt a sense of sadness when it came to the career of Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade. The former Olympian was as talented as they come, but for whatever reason, he was unable to secure any of the big-time fights.
For over a decade, Andrade took on tenuous opponent after tenuous opponent while the rest of his peers took part in more memorable matchups. Andrade, to his credit, screamed at the top of his lungs, urging anyone who was considered elite either in or around his weight class, to fight him. No one though, took the bait.
With another inconsequential title reign taking place at 160 pounds, Andrade ditched his middleweight throne and headed eight pounds north. After getting adjusted to life against bigger men, Andrade (32-1, 19 KOs) squared off against David Benavidez. It was a dangerous fight, but it was the sort of opportunity the 35-year-old knew he couldn’t pass up on.
Although he started strong, Benavidez eventually wore his man down, stopping him after the sixth round.
Despondently, Andrade meandered out of the ring. Now, the former two-division champ will return home and ponder his next move. While it might be difficult to see the sun amid the clouds at the moment, Judah can see several positives for Andrade, most of which could lead to the results he’s always wanted.
“I think that fight was needed for him,” said Judah during an interview with MillCity Boxing. “Now, he’s gonna get some of the fights he was supposed to get in the past.”
According to the former undisputed welterweight champion, boxing works in a bemusing way. In some instances, when a fighter is at the top of his game, he’s avoided. But, once a few chinks in his armor are revealed, his phone begins to ring off the wall.
In the case of Andrade, Judah believes the former champ will be picked on. However, while it may seem like Andrade is now easy pickings, Judah is dubious to that sort of thinking. From his point of view, the now 35-year-old will get back to his dominant self in no time.
“Boxing is funny, once they see you lose, now everybody wanna fight you. But don’t count Boo Boo out. keep your eyes on Boo Boo Andrade. He ain’t finished. He ain’t damaged goods. I think he’ll make a comeback.”