Andrade: Canelo Took The Weakest Link in Facing Liam Smith

by David P. Greisman

Demetrius Andrade wants fights against the biggest names at junior middleweight. And so he isn’t very happy with Canelo Alvarez’s decision to face Liam Smith in September for a world title at 154.

“I wanted Liam Smith, which Canelo got,” Andrade told BoxingScene.com late last month. “Canelo got the weakest link of the 154-pounders because he knows he doesn’t want to fight anyone that’s going to give him a hard time.”

Alvarez will be challenging for Smith’s belt. And that belt is why Andrade wanted to face Smith, even though he’s critical of Smith as a choice of opponent.

“I had that belt, the WBO,” Andrade said.

Andrade won the vacant WBO title in November 2013 when he edged Vanes Martirosyan. He defended it just once, dominating Brian Rose in June 2014. But he was out of the ring for an extended amount of time, first turning down a bout with Jermell Charlo in late 2014 and then remaining on the sideline in a dispute with his promoters.

The WBO stripped Andrade, who didn’t return until last October, picking up a victory over Dario Pucheta. Andrade’s in position to fight for another belt in the not-too-distant future, though. His technical knockout of Willie Nelson last month made him the mandatory challenger to the winner of a future bout between the current titleholder — Charlo — and Charles Hatley.

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