It’s not the fight that Demetrius Andrade wanted next, though it certainly beats not fighting at all.
BoxingScene.com has learned that the undefeated middleweight titlist has been ordered to enter negotiations for a title defense versus Wales’ Liam Williams, with such bout to be credited with honoring his mandatory challenger obligations.
Representatives from the World Boxing Organization (WBO) declined comment, as news of the bout being ordered has yet to be officially announced. Multiple sources have confirmed to BoxingScene.com, however, of handlers for Andrade and Williams already acknowledged the sanctioning body ordering the fight, confirming a news leak provided to BT Sport by Frank Warren, Williams’ promoter.
The two sides will have 30 days to come to terms before being subject to a purse bid hearing.
Andrade (29-0, 18KOs) will make the fourth defense of the middleweight title he claimed in a 12-round shutout of previously unbeaten Walter Kautondokwa in October 2018. The 32-year old from Providence, Rhode Island—who represented the United States in the 2008 Beijing Olympics—is coming off of a 9th round stoppage of Ireland’s Luke Keeler this past January in Miami, Florida.
The targets sought after the fight were the same as has been the case ever since Andrade put a title around his waist—title unification bouts with World middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (53-1-2, 36KOs). World Boxing Council (WBC) beltholder Jermall Charlo (30-0, 22KOs) or International Boxing Federation (IBF) titlist Gennadiy Golovkin (40-1-1, 35KOs), or a willingness to move up in weight to challenge unbeaten two-division and reigning super middleweight titlist Billy Joe Saunders.
Of the four, only Saunders expressed any interest although the Brit is now heading towards a May 2 clash with Alvarez (pending an official announcement).
Meanwhile, Golovkin is set to make a mandatory defense versus Poland’s Kamil Szeremeta (21-0, 5KOs) either in late May or sometime in June. That left Andrade to pursue a similar option, only for WBO number-one contender Jaime Munguia (35-0, 28KOs) not answering the call for undisclosed reasons.
The benefactor from all of this is Williams (22-2-1, 17KOs), who comes storming into the title picture on the strength of a six-fight win streak—all inside the distance. The 27-year old Welshman most recently turned away the challenge of Alantez Fox, who managed a knockdown of Andrade en route to a 12-round decision loss in their October 2017 clash but who was dropped and stopped in five rounds by Williams last December.
Heading into the bout, Williams and Fox were led to believe—largely by Warren—that their bout would serve as a final eliminator. Clarification was offered by the WBO that the winner would not be named the mandatory challenger nor guaranteed a title shot, though it proved moot as it’s precisely how it worked out for Williams.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox