Shawn Porter believes that WBO middleweight champion Demetrius ‘Boo Boo’ Andrade is the #1 champ at 160. Unfortunately for the 2008 U.S Olympian Andrade (29-0, 18 KOs), he’s been frozen out by the other champions at middleweight, as well as former WBO belt-holder Billy Joe Saunders.
The talented southpaw Andrade hasn’t been able to get the other champions like Canelo Alvarez, Gennadiy Golovkin and Jermall Charlo to face him. Being frozen out by the other top fighters has kept Andrade trapped and stultified, and unable to rise to join the other elite-level middleweights as a superstar.
That’s the sad part about boxing. It’s not like organized sports where teams are forced to fight each other. In boxing, fighters often avoid dangerous guys that have the skills to beat them. In the best possible world, warriors like Canelo and Gennadiy Golovkin would face Andrade and prove they could beat him.
Sadly, that’s not how things go in the chaotic world of boxing. Fighter is allowed to avoid the best. So instead of Canelo facing Andrade or Artur Beterbiev, he takes on Rocky Fielding and Sergey Kovalev. Instead of GGG facing Andrade, he takes on Steve Rolls and Kamil Szeremeta.
Andrade is ‘The Truth’
“Why do you think none of the champions at 160 want to fight ‘Boo Boo’ Andrade?” said Porter on social media. “Boo Boo is the truth. Shame on me for just now talking about Andrade because Boo Boo is the man. I’m probably one of his biggest fans as a fighter that does it.
“I’m one of his biggest fans. We go way back to when we were 16. The first time we fought each other was when we were 16. The last time we fought each other was when we were 19. We’ve even been in camp as professionals. So I’m a humongous fan of his.
“Everybody calls Errol Spence ‘The Truth,’ but I really think ‘Boo Boo’ Andrade is ‘The Truth.‘ I think being a southpaw, being so intuitive and intelligent in the ring, having the kind of reflexes that he has, making the right moves at the right time,” said Porter.
The way that Andrade delt Maciel Sulecki a defeat in 2019, it was impressive. Andrade dominated Sulecki in beating him by a one-sided 12 round unanimous decision. For the fans that know, Sulecki is the same guy that Daniel Jacobs struggled to beat in 2018.
The ease with which Andrade defeated Sulecki showed that he would be pure 100% trouble for Jacobs, as well as Canelo. Jacobs came close to beating Canelo in 2019.
As a pro, Andrade’s best wins have come against Maciej Sulecki, Luke Keeler, Jack Culcay, and Willie Nelson.
Demetrius Andrade is ‘The Guy’ at 160 – Porter
“There are not that many fighters out there that can do what ‘Boo Boo’ can do, and I think he’s in a class of his own,” said Porter on Andrade. “That’s why nobody wants to fight him right now. They put it on things about him not having a name, and I know how it is.
“You say, ‘Hey, you ain’t going to get no-name off of me.’ That’s one of the rules of boxing. You’ve got to earn a fight with me because you’re not just going to get no-name off of me.’
“That’s how a lot of the fighters at 160 are filling about ‘Boo Boo’ because he doesn’t have the name or the recognition that the other champions have at 160. No one wants to give him that shot, but every shot they give him, he’s going to take. To me, he’s ‘The Guy’ at 160,” said Porter about his view of Andrade being #1 at 160.
Andrade may very well be the #1 fighter at 160, but he might never get the chance to prove it. If things stay the way they are in the sport, Andrade will continue to be bypassed by the other champions, and left to be ignored.
