The news around Demetrius Andrade is typically focused around failed fight negotiations or call outs. That’s the case yet again, and while the following statements from his team question what happened on Anthony Mundine’s side, the other perspective is questioning what in the world is happening with Andrade’s career on the whole, and why this fight with Mundine was even an option they were pursuing either way.
Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade (21-0, 14 KOs) has hit another roadblock as Anthony “The Man” Mundine (47-7, 27 KOs) has reneged on an agreement to challenge Andrade next month in his native Australia.
“We agreed to terms with Mundine’s promoter but have heard nothing back since then,” 27-year-old Andrade explained. “Mundine calls out (Floyd) Mayweather but he won’t take a legitimate WBO World title fight at 154 pounds in his own country? Same old story, I guess. Everybody wants something until they have a chance to really get it.”
“Anthony Mundine’s team had one of those careful-what-you-wish-for moments,” Andrade’s manager Ed Farris noted, “in which Demetrius accepted all of their requested terms, including Demetrius putting up his WBO belt to fight Mundine on his own home turf. After previously agreeing to fight Andrade, Mundine’s team has now had a change of heart, and they apparently are looking to fight a lesser opponent.”
Andrade hasn’t fought since he destroyed WBO No. 1 mandatory contender Brian Rose (25-1-1) in seven rounds on June 14, 2014. Unable to lure either Mayweather or Miquel Cotto into a mega-fight, nor WBO No. 1 contender Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, or even a unification with WBA champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara, 2008 U.S. Olympian Andrade believed that he finally had a title defense locked in for next month against former two-time super middleweight world champion Mundine.
“I don’t understand,” a frustrated Andrade added. “We offered this guy a chance to win the championship of the world in his home country and he looked for a way out instead? What kind of fighter is he? Any real fighter would do anything for that kind of an opportunity.”
