What if I told you that Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade was the best, most complete fighter in the world?
You’d probably demand some evidence to prove that bold proclamation—and the discussion would end right then and there. Because, while the two-time junior middleweight world champ has all of the physical assets necessary to prove my point, he has yet to actually show us that he can be anything other than a mega-talented fighter who someday, maybe, might put it all together for a sustained run at greatness.
The Providence, Rhode Island native has shown, in brief flashes here and there, promise of what a fully realized Andrade may look like. But there has never been a full year or even half-year, to be honest, where he as looked to be fully moving forward and fighting up to his full potential.
His most recent bout—against WBA jr. middleweight title holder Jack Culcay in Germany this past March—saw Andrade struggling to win a split decision against a fighter he should’ve steamrolled. It was the first time in a nine-year pro career that his raw athleticism and physicality failed him. And it most definitely was a sign that he needs to get his act together or face a possible future of wondering “what could’ve been.” At 29 years of age, the time to act is now and he seems to have seen that as well.
Andrade, now officially campaigning as a middleweight, has signed a three-fight contract with HBO and will be kicking off that deal this Saturday against undefeated prospect Alantez Fox in the televised co-feature underneath the Jazreel Corrales-Alberto Machado main event.
And HBO is the perfect place to be for an Andrade now seemingly eager to prove his worth as a prizefighter and, just as importantly, as a potential money-maker.
With middleweights Canelo Alvarez, Gennady Golovkin, David Lemieux, and Daniel Jacobs already locked up, HBO adding Andrade just makes things all the more interesting at 160. It’s clear that the premium cable channel plans to have someone piggyback off the successes of Canelo and Triple G and, if that IS the case, then Andrade is lining himself up to be in the right place at the right time.
A win over any middleweight under the HBO umbrella instantly propels him to main event status, but a win over Golovkin or Alvarez has the potential to make him a star. And if he runs the gauntlet of HBO and HBO-friendly 160-pounders, staying active and sharp, the world will see his full potential when he finally reaches star status.
Finally, there’s a clear path to full career realization for Demetrius Andrade.
But now comes the hard part—following through on the big talk and big plans when the stars seem to be aligning in his favor. This is the part where things never seem to work out and where professional meandering has led to personal distraction for “Boo Boo.”
It’s likely that Andrade will finish his relationship with HBO right where he deserves to be—either as a fully realized elite-level star or just a really talented fighter who was never quite good enough to be great.
From here on out, though, there are no more excuses or “oh well” justifications for not being where he needs to be or for not executing the way he needs to execute. He is right where he needs to be at the exact perfect time to be there. It’s sink or swim time. Do or die. And there’s no more time for backwards steps.