ARLINGTON, Texas – On the night Canelo Alvarez stopped one talkative, undefeated southpaw, he wasn’t about to entertain another one during his post-fight press conference.
The typically calm Mexican superstar got into a heated exchange with Demetrius Andrade following his technical-knockout victory over Billy Joe Saunders at AT&T Stadium. Andrade and his father/trainer, Paul, eventually were escorted out of the press conference after Alvarez repeatedly yelled, “Get the f--- out of here!”
The incident began when Andrade addressed Alvarez as a reporter was attempting to ask the four-division champion a question about his win against England’s Saunders (31-1, 14 KOs).
“So, when can we get something going on?,” Andrade asked.
Alvarez responded, “Oh, man,” laughed and put his head down when he realized it was Andrade asking the question.
The 33-year-old Andrade (30-0, 18 KOs), the WBO middleweight champion, remained respectful. He commended Alvarez’s performance against Saunders in their 12-round, 168-pound title unification fight and said he’s “a big fan” of a fighter Andrade repeatedly has called out.
“What’s up, though?,” Andrade said. “When can we make it happen?”
Alvarez (56-1-2, 38 KOs) quickly questioned Andrade’s level opposition, a common complaint from potential higher-profile opponents.
“Man, you fight with nobody,” Alvarez replied in English, his second language. “You are a champion, but you fight with nobody, man. You won the belt with nobody.”
Once Paul Andrade began yelling about Alvarez avoiding his son when Alvarez boxed in the 154-pound and 160-pound divisions, Alvarez lost his patience.
“Get the f--- out of here, man,” Alvarez said. “Get the f--- out of here, man. This is my night.”
Andrade then told Alvarez to watch his mouth and not to disrespect his father.
“You’re a horrible fighter, man,” Alvarez continued. “You’re never gonna get the fight. You’re a horrible fighter. Horrible fighter. Horrible fighter.”
Alvarez also mocked Andrade by singing, “Payday. Payday. You want payday. I know.”
Andrade yelled, “Once I see you, it’s on,” as he was escorted out of the press conference.
“Ya, ya, ya, ya,” Alvarez replied. “I see you outside. That’s a kid, man. He’s a kid.”
Their argument was abnormal behavior for the 30-year-old Alvarez, who usually is respectful of other fighters.
“Man, at some point I f------ need to say something,” Alvarez said. “This is the time.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
