By Cliff Rold

It was far from pretty but Team USA bounced back right away from its first defeat at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.  In opening round of 32 action at 152 lbs., 20-year old Welterweight Demetrius Andrade of Providence, Rhode Island narrowly outpointed 24-year old Kakhaber Jvania of Georgia by a score of 11-9 in a rough four rounds of Boxing and grappling.

Andrade remains one of America’s brightest Gold Medal hopefuls and for good reason.  In recent vintage, he has been among the most accomplished amateurs in the nation, capturing two U.S. national titles, two national Golden Gloves titles, a silver medal at the 2007 Pan-Am Games and, most significantly on the global stage, Gold at the 2007 World Amateurs. 

All the accolades are out the window once in the ring and the problems he experienced against Jvania could remain in the round of sixteen. 

Watching Andrade, his hand speed jumps immediately off the screen.  He gets off quickly with the right as both a jab and lead hook, and the left hand snakes in right behind it in combination.  His lead right to the body also gets there in rapid fashion even if it’s almost never going to be scored…almost being the key word as Andrade did get credit in the first round for a thudding right hook downstairs.

Andrade’s hands aren’t the only body parts with speed.  He also displayed excellent feet, able to take small steps backwards and sideways to avoid awkward rushes from Jvania.  In the final twenty seconds of the first, Jvania dove in attempting to clinch.  Andrade responded with a chopping left and then spun out and around Jvania before letting loose a hard four-punch combination.  Throughout all four rounds, Andrade would alternate between a high guard and almost none at all, relying on deft head movement to slip lunging shots when Jvania was held at distance.

The rough spots started in the second.  Realizing Andrade’s speed wasn’t going to be dealt with in clean fashion, Jvania got increasingly physical from the second round on.  Leading with his head, applying head locks, the occasional hard shoulder, forearm clubs and wrenching the American’s arms in the clinches were all exhibited tactics.  Jvania looked for ways to win.

Andrade, to his credit, worked some short hooks stepping out of clinches but could have done more in round two.  Andrade came out looking to move and counter from the opening bell with his jab popping to control geography, but many of his shots were wide and he didn’t shorten them up enough to deter the bull rushes as Jvania’s game plan became clear.  There may also have been openings for lead uppercuts.

Andrade showed his experience in round three by getting off first in the early part of the round and flurrying before Jvania could lock him up.  As the round wore on though, the tactics being used against him brought more haste to his offense, a possible sign of aggravation or even frustration.  Two Jvania left hooks to the head blasted around a high but loose guard as Andrade went stalker in attempts to change the rhythm of the bout.  After the second of those hooks, a Jvania head lock on Andrade got the American warned for lowering his head.  Andrade responded with a flurry as Jvania reset, landing another right hook to the body that scored a point and stunned the Georgian. 

No, seriously Olympic watchers, he got credit for another body shot.

It was clear in the fourth that Andrade was fighting with a known lead so being outscored 3-1 in the final round wasn’t as important as the fact that he made sure to score an insurance point late in the round as Jvania moved his hands in hope of a steal. 

Round One Grade: B

Andrade didn’t look his best in the opening round but he won.  The quest for Gold will be even tougher in the round of 16.  Jvania’s plan to slow his speed advantage by frustrating his offense with lunges and physicality is almost guaranteed to be seen again when Andrade faces Russia’s Andrey Balanov this Thursday, August 14.  In his opening round bout, Balanov frustrated the aggression of Namibia’s Mujandjae Kasuto with expert flurries, movement and clinches. 

In Andrade’s favor, Balanov is a more precise puncher than Jvania so the long jab and speed of Andrade could create a more orthodox Boxing match.  The danger would be in falling behind early to the short hook game of Balanov and allowing himself to be frustrated again as he was at times by Jvania.  Frustration could lead to a chase, and Eastern European and Russian fighters with a lead and pursuer are tough to beat. 

If he can, Andrade’s hope for Gold, and America’s along with it, will be one step closer.

More on Team USA and “The Quest for Gold”

Round One

Day One Results  
https://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=15327  
Middleweight Report Card – Shawn Estrada https://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=15332

Day Two Results
https://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=15336
https://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=15337
https://www.boxingscene.com/index.php?m=show&id=15339  
Light Welterweight Report Card – Javier Molina
https://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=15341

Coming Tomorrow
Raynell Williams (Featherweight); Sadam Ali (Lightweight)

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Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com