By Ryan Maquiñana
Junior middleweight contender Demetrius Andrade hopes that his handlers can strike a deal with Vanes Martirosyan for a WBO 154-pound title bout in the near future. The fight is reportedly in play for the Nov. 23 Manny Pacquiao-Brandon Rios card in Macau, China.
“I’m just ready to fight. I’ve been waiting for my chance and my opportunity to fight for the WBO, and it seems like it’s taking forever,” Andrade (19-0, 13 KOs) told BoxingScene.com/CSNBayArea.com. “They’re trying to make a deal with Bob Arum and figure out where the fight’s going to be.”
Andrade was originally scheduled to fight then-holder Zaurbek Baysangurov (28-1, 20 KOs) on July 6 for the crown, but when the Russian pulled out due to injury, the WBO stripped him and installed Martirosyan (33-0-1, 21 KOs), from Glendale, Calif., as the next available contender. Andrade, a former amateur world champion, is confident of victory no matter who emerges in the opposite corner.
“I’ll take on Austin Trout. I’ll take on Canelo [Alvarez]. I’ll take on Mayweather. I’ll take on anyone in the ring with me…Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, anyone that wants to fight, I’m willing to fight,” said Andrade, a native of Providence, R.I.
Andrade, who has been training in recent months in Hayward, Calif., with Virgil Hunter, revealed that he has amicably split from the celebrated cornerman and will go back to working with his father Paul.
“Working with Virgil Hunter was cool, but I’m currently back working with my father, Paul Andrade,” Andrade said. “He knows me better than anyone out here in this boxing industry. My loyalty’s back with my dad, and everything’s been going great.”
The lanky southpaw was Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo’s main sparring partner before his fight with Erislandy Lara. While Angulo had Lara down on the canvas but was unable to finish the job, Andrade feels he has the skill set necessary to beat the crafty Cuban.
“I fought Lara before in the amateurs in Venezuela for the Pan-Am Games qualifier. He knows what’s up,” Andrade said. “Southpaw to southpaw is nothing. I’m a southpaw, so I know how to beat a southpaw.”
Until then, a hungry Andrade will wait for his time in the spotlight.
“I see these guys going out there getting the opportunity to be on HBO and Showtime, and it sucks knowing I’m better than these guys, and that’s the truth.”
Ryan Maquiñana was the boxing producer for NBCOlympics.com during London 2012 and writes a weekly column for CSNBayArea.com. He is a full member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the Ratings Panel for Ring Magazine. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at Norcalboxing.net, or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.
