By Cliff Rold

Coming into the 2008 Beijing Games, 20-year old Welterweight and reigning 2007 World Amateur champion Demetrius Andrade was expected to be one of America’s best Gold medal hopefuls.  It took until the round of 16 at 152 lbs, his second outing of this Olympiad, to begin to show why.  His 14-3 victory eventually dazzled, moved him to the quarterfinals, and for the cherry on top netted him a measure of revenge.

Andrade and the 32-year old Russian Andrey Balanov had met before at the 2005 World Amateurs, Andrade losing a wide points decision while still hovering on the fence between high school and selective service.  This time, Balanov wasn’t facing a quick kid but it did appear in the opening minute like he might still be up against a nervous young man. 

Andrade’s first round win against Georgia’s Kakhaber Zvania mirrored his opening round World’s win against the same man in 2007 but the fight was sloppy and lower scoring, Andrade edgy and lacking sharpness in his offense.  As he opened up against Balanov, there was still a tightness to his demeanor as he moved about the ring, pawing with his southpaw jab, not ready to engage. 

As the fight approached one minute done Andrade started to snap the jab a bit more, still cautious but beginning to relax.  Finally, a hard jab to the body opened up a left hook counter for his first point near the thirty second mark.  Balanov attempted multiple flurries and Andrade showed excellent speed of head and upper body, slipping shots as Balanov tumbled into him.  Feinting with his right shoulder and leaning slightly back onto his left foot, Andrade timed a slashing lead left to up his lead to 2-0 as the round came to a close.  Had a clean right hook to the body in the final thirty seconds also been scored, it could have been 3-0. 

Andrade appeared ready to make all such discussions academic at the start of the second, but as the action unfolded he again started patiently and was the beneficiary of the Olympic bias against body work as two landed hooks downstairs for Balanov in the opening minute went unscored.  A lead right hook to the head from Andrade was not.  Balanov got on the board moments later, connecting with second of two lead rights but Andrade got the point right back when a right hand finished a three-punch combination to Balanov’s face. 

Then Andrade mixed in a punch that has been all but missing from Team USA’s effort thus far, leading and scoring with a left uppercut, a punch that many of the lunge-to-score-and-then-hold international scene have appeared open for in fight after fight.  A left hand seemingly landed high to Balanov’s head did not score but another precision lead left uppercut as did a left hook in a two punch combination.  Andrade had demanded control of the bout and led 7-1.

Two left hooks from Andrade early in the third rocked the head of Balanov but not the judge’s buttons.  A long left hand did, but Andrade was cautioned twice by the referee in the first minute for holding and pushing.  Another straight left scored leading to another rightful caution, this time for leading with his head.  A solid left hook to Andrade’s ribs received no acknowledgement but a countering left moments later raised the American’s lead to 10-1.  Andrade bent at the waist to avoid a rush from Balanov and the referee stepped in for an official warning that resulted in a two-point penalty in favor of the Russian who still trailed 10-3.  A flush left hook at the end of a flurry from Balanov looked to jostle Andrade’s head against the ropes, but it was good work unnoticed once more.  Andrade was on his bike from there, choosing the educated strategy of movement and pot shotting that protects so many modern amateur leads, adding to his total with a final counter lead right.

Andrade entered the final two minutes in an enviable position, needing only to maintain his defense and play keep away to move on.  He did just that, blocking the best of Balanov’s stuff and scoring three more points of his own on a snapping lead right hook, a hard straight left and a countering lead left, to secure a lopsided victory at 14-3.  Balanov did better than his score indicated, but in the end so did Andrade.

Through eight minutes of action, Andrade fought above his still limited years with poise, precision and confidence.  A healthy mix of speed, movement and balance didn’t hurt either.  Maybe he wasn’t as nervous as he looked in the first minute after all.
 
Round One Grade: A-

From a competitive standpoint, there can almost be some sympathy for Balanov.  He was for years the Bridesmaid to Russian Amateur Welterweight legend Oleg Saitov who won one Bronze and two Gold Medals at the last three games.  Now was his turn to walk the aisle only to find himself as part of another budding Amateur greats developing story.

The sympathy evaporates when one realizes that Balanov is 32 and Russia isn’t exactly the USSR anymore.  There are in fact a number of quality professionals these days from the Eurasian giant and deeply experienced 32-year olds in headgear losing to 20-year olds has a touch of karmic justice.

It wasn’t a perfect performance from the American but his draw suggested Balanov could be the biggest hurdle en route to the finals and he cleared it with feet to spare.  He stands only one win away from a guaranteed medal, two from a shot at the top of the podium.  Andrade returns on Sunday, August 17 in the quarterfinals to square off with Korea’s Jung Joo Kim.  Kim was a winner on day six as well by a score of 10-0 over the Virgin Island’s John Jackson, son of legendary professional power punch Julian Jackson. 

Andrade remains America’s best hope and hope is beginning take serious form.  

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

Up Next
Round Two: Featherweight Raynell Williams

Stay with BoxingScene for the best Olympic Boxing coverage on the World Wide Web

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